COMRADES 


THOMAS  DIXON  J£ 


DUKE  UNIVERSITY 


LIBRARY 


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COMRADES 


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Norman  Clasped  Her  ix  His  Arms. 


A  STORY  OF  SOCIAL  ADVENTURE 
IN  CALIFORNIA 

THOMAS  DIXON,  Jr. 

Illustrated  by 

C.  D.  WILLIAMS 


^ 


GROSSET    &    DUNLAP 
Publishers         ::         New    York 


ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED,   INCLCDING  THAT  OP  TRANSLATION 
INTO   FOREIGN    LANGUAGES,  INCLUDING    THE   SCANDINAVIAll 


COPYRIGHT,    1909,    BY    THOMAS    DIXON,   JR. 
PUBLISHED,    JANUARY,    IQOQ 


DEDICATED  TO 

THE  DEAREST  LITTLE 

QRL  IN  THE  WORLD.  MY  DAUGHTER 

LOUISE 


CONTENTS 


I. 

The  Woman  in  Red    . 

3 

II. 

A  New  Joan  of  Arc     . 

19 

III. 

The  Birth  of  a  Man   . 

31 

IV. 

Among  the  Shadows    . 

Z1 

V. 

The  Island  of  Ventura 

.        48 

VI. 

The  Red  Flag     . 

56 

VII. 

Father  and  Son  . 

n 

VIII. 

Through  the  Eyes  of  Love 

85 

IX. 

A  Faded  Picture 

90 

X. 

Son  and  Father 

93 

XI. 

The  Way  of  a  Woman 

103 

XII. 

A  Royal  Gift       . 

105 

XIII. 

The  Burning  of  the  Bridges 

no 

XIV. 

The  New  World 

.    118 

XV. 

For  the  Cause 

123 

XVI. 

Barbara  Chooses  a  Profession 

130 

XVII. 

A  Call  for  Heroes 

134 

XVIII. 

A  New  Aristocracy 

151 

XIX. 

Some  Troubles  in  Heaven   . 

166 

XX. 

The  Unconventional    . 

181 

XXI. 

A  Pair  of  Cold  Gray  Eyes 

186 

XXII. 

The  Fighting  Instinct 

192 

398431 


viii 

COMRADES 

CHAPTER 

'^ 

PAGE 

XXIII. 

The  Cords  Tighten 

207 

XXIV. 

Some  Interrogation  Points 

212 

XXV. 

The  Master  Hand    . 

224 

XXVI. 

At  the  Parting  of  the  Ways 

235 

XXVII. 

The  Fruits  of  Patience     . 

246 

XXVIII. 

The  New  Master     . 

257 

XXIX. 

A  Test  of  Strength 

269 

XXX. 

A  Vision  from  the  Hilltop 

274 

XXXI. 

In  Love  and  War     . 

283 

XXXII. 

A  Primitive  Lover 

291 

XXXIII. 

Equality 

295 

XXXIV. 

A  Brother  to  the  Beast   , 

306 

XXXV. 

Love  and  Locksmiths 

3U 

XXXVI. 

The  Shining  Emblem 

318 

LEADING  CHARACTERS   OF  THE 
STORY 

Scene:   California.      Time:    1898-1901 


Norman  Worth 
Colonel  Worth 
Elena  Stockton 
Herman  Wolf 
Catherine  . 
Barbara  Bozenta 
Methodist  John 
Tom  Mooney 
John  Diggs 
Roland  Adair    . 


An  Amateur  Socialist 

His  Father 

The  Coloners  Ward 

.    A  Socialist  Leader 

His  Affinity  Wife 

A  New  Joan  of  Arc 

A  Pauper 

.  A  Miner 

A  Truth  Seeker 

Bard  of  Ramcat 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Norman  clasped  her  in  his  arms"  .   Frontispiece 


FACING    PAGE 


"'Lift  the  flag  back  to  its  place!'"       .         .      72 

Barbara 214 

*' Wolf  grasped  her" 292 


COMRADES 


COMRADES 

CHAPTER   I 

THE    WOMAN    IN    RED 

FOOLS  and  fanatics!" 
Colonel  Worth  crumpled  the  morning  paper 
with  a  gesture  of  rage  and  walked  to  the  window, 

Elena  followed  softly  and  laid  her  hand  on  his 
arm. 

"What  is  it,  Guardie  ?  I  thought  you  were 
supremely  happy  this  morning  over  the  news  that 
Dewey  has  smashed  the  Spanish  fleet?" 

"And  so  I  am,  little  girl,"  was  the  gentle  reply, 
"or  was  until  my  eye  fell  on  this  call  of  the 
Socialists  for  a  meeting  to-night  to  denounce  the 
war  —  denounce  the  men  who  are  dying  for 
the  flag.     Read  their  summons." 

He  opened  the  crumpled  sheet  and  pointed 
to  its  head  lines: 

"Down  with  the  Stars  and  Stripes  —  up  with 
the  Red  Flag  of  Revolution  —  the  symbol  of 
universal  human  brotherhood!  Come  and  bring 
your  friends.  A  big  surprise  for  all!"  The 
Colonel's  jaws  snapped  suddenly. 

3 


4  COMRADES 

"  I  'd  like  to  give  them  the  surprise  they  need 
to-nignt." 

"What?"  Elena  asked. 

"A  serenade." 

"A  serenade  .f*" 

"Yes,  with  Mauser  rifles  and  Gatling  guns. 
I  'd  mow  them  down  as  I  would  a  herd  of  wild 
beasts  loose  in  the  streets  of  San  Francisco." 

"Merely  for  a  difference  of  opinion,  Governor  ?" 
lazily  broke  in  a  voice  from  the  depths  of  a  heavy 
armchair. 

"If  you  want  to  put  it  so,  Norman,  yes.  Opin- 
ions, my  boy,  are  the  essence  of  life  —  they  may 
lead  to  heaven  or  hell.  Opinions  make  cowards  or 
heroes,  patriots  or  traitors,  criminals  or  saints." 

"But  you  believe  in  free  speech  ?"  persisted  the 
boy. 

"Yes.  And  that 's  more  than  any  Socialist 
can  say.  I  don't  deny  their  right  to  speak  their 
message.  What  I  can't  understand  is  how  the 
people  who  have  been  hounded  from  the  tyrant- 
ridden  countries  of  the  old  world  and  found 
shelter  and  protection  beneath  our  flag  should 
turn  thus  to  curse  the  hand  that  shields  them." 

"  But  if  they  propose  to  give  you  a  better  flag, 
Governor?"  drawled  the  lazy  voice.  "Why  not 
consider  ?" 

"Look,   Elena!     Did    the  sun  ever    shine    on 


THE  WOMAN  IN  RED  5 

anything  more  beautiful  ?  See  it  fluttering  from 
a  thousand  house-tops  —  the  proud  emblem  of 
human  freedom  and  human  progress!  Dewey 
has  lifted  it  this  morning  on  the  foulest  slave-pen 
of  the  Orient  —  the  flag  that  has  never  met  de- 
feat. The  one  big  faith  in  me  is  the  belief  that 
Almighty  God  inspired  our  fathers  to  build  this 
Republic  —  the  noblest  dream  yet  conceived  by 
the  mind  of  man.  Dewey  has  sunk  a  tyrant 
fleet  and  conquered  an  empire  of  slaves  without 
the  loss  of  a  single  man.  The  God  of  our 
fathers  was  with  him.     We  have  a  message  for 

the  swarming  millions  of  the  East " 

"  Pardon  the  interruption,  Governor,  but  I  must 
hold  the  mirror  up  to  nature  just  a  moment  — 
your  portrait  sketched  by  the  poet-laureate  of 
the  English-speaking  world.  He  speaks  of  the 
American: 

"  Enslaved,  illogical,  elate. 

He  greets  the  embarrassed  gods,  nor  fears 
To  shake  the  iron  hand  of  Fate 
Or  match  with  Destiny  for  beers. 

"Lo!  imperturbable  he  rules. 

Unkempt,  disreputable,  vast  — 
And  in  the  teeth  of  all  the  schools 
I —  I  shall  save  him  at  the  last!" 

The  Colonel  smiled. 

"How  do  you  like  the  picture?" 


6  COMRADES 

"Not  bad  for  an  Englishman,  Norman.  You 
know  we  licked  England  twice " 

"And  we  kin  do  it  again,  b*  gosh,  can't  we?" 
blustered  the  younger  man  with  mock  heroics. 

"You  can  bet  we  can,  my  son!"  continued  the 
Colonel,  quietly.  "The  roar  of  Dewey's  guns  are 
echoing  round  the  world  this  morning.  The 
lesson  will  not  be  lost.  You  will  observe  that 
even  your  English  poet  foresees  at  last  our 
salvation. 

"  'And  in  the  teeth  of  all  the  schools 
I — I  shall  save  him  at  the  last!' " 

"Even  in  spite  of  the  Socialists?"  queried  the 
boy,  with  a  grin. 

"In  spite  of  every  foe  —  even  those  within  our 
own  household.  War  is  the  searchlight  of  history, 
the  great  revealer  of  national  life,  of  hidden 
strength  and  unexpected  weakness.  I  saw  it  in 
the  Civil  conflict  —  I  've  seen  it  in  this  little 
struggle " 

"  Then  you  do  acknowledge  it 's  not  the  greatest 
struggle  in  history  —  that 's  something  to  be 
thankful  for  in  these  days  of  patriotism," 
exclaimed  Norman,  rising  and  stretching 
himself  before  the  open  fire  while  he  winked 
mischievously  at  Elena. 

"  It 's  big  enough,  my  boy,  to  show  us  the  truth 


THE  WOMAN  IN  RED  7 

about  our  nation.  Our  old  problems  are  no 
longer  real.  The  Union  our  fathers  dreamed 
has  come  at  last.  We  are  one  people  —  one 
out  of  many  —  and  we  can  whip  Spain  before 
breakfast " 

"With  one  hand  tied  behind  our  back!" 
laughed  the  boy. 

"Yes,  and  blindfolded.  It  will  be  easy.  But 
the  next  serious  job  will  be  to  bury  a  half  million 
deluded  fools  in  this  country  who  call  themselves 
Socialists. " 

The  Colonel  paused  and  a  look  of  fore- 
boding clouded  his  face  as  he  gazed  from  the  win- 
dow of  his  house  on  Nob  Hill  over  the  city  of  San 
Francisco,  which  he  loved  with  a  devotion  second 
only  to  his  passionate  enthusiasm  for  the  Union. 

Elena  sat  watching  him  in  silent  sympathy. 
He  was  the  one  perfect  man  of  her  life  dreams,  the 
biggest,  strongest,  tenderest  soul  she  had 
ever  known.  Since  the  day  she  crept  into  his 
arms  a  lonely  little  orphan  ten  years  old  she  had 
worshipped  him  as  father,  mother,  guardian, 
lover,  friend  —  all  in  one.  She  had  accepted 
Norman's  love  and  promised  to  be  his  wife  more 
to  please  his  father  than  from  any  overwhelming 
passion  for  the  handsome,  lazy  young  athlete.  It 
had  come  about  as  a  matter  of  course  because 
Colonel  Worth  wished  it. 


8  COMRADES 

The  Colonel  turned  from  the  window,  and  his 
eyes  rested  on  Elena's  upturned  face. 

"  It  will  be  bloody  work  —  but  we  've  got  to 
do  it " 

Elena  sprang  to  her  feet  with  a  start  and  a  laugh. 

"Do  what,  Guardie .?  I  forgot  what  you 
were  talking   about." 

"Then  don't  worry  your  pretty  head  about  it, 
dear.  It 's  a  job  we  men  will  look  after  in  due 
time." 

He  stooped  and  kissed  her  forehead.  "By- 
by  until  to-night  —  I  '11  drop  down  to  the  club 
and  hear  the  latest  from  the  front." 

With  the  firm,  swinging  stride  of  a  man  who 
lives  in  the  open  the  Colonel  passed  through  the 
door  of  the  library. 

"  Norman,  I  can't  realize  that  you  two  are  father 
and  son  —  he  looks  more  like  your  brother." 

"At  least  my  older  brother " 

"Yes,  of  course,  but  you  would  never  take  him 
for  a  man  of  forty- eight.  I  like  the  touch  of  gray  in 
his  hair.  It  means  dignity,  strength,  experience. 
I  've  always  hated  sap-headed  youngsters. " 

"Say,  Elena,  for  heaven's  sake,  who  are  you 
in  love  with  anyhow  —  with  me  or  the  Governor  .?" 

A  smile  flickered  around  the  corners  of  the 
girl's  eyes  and  mouth  before  she  slowly  answered: 

"I    sometimes   think   I    really   love   you   both. 


THE  WOMAN  IN  RED  9 

Norman  —  but  there  are  times  when  I  have  doubts 
about  you." 

"Thanks.  I  suppose  I  must  be  duly  grateful 
for  small  favours,  or  else  resign  myself  to  call 
you  'Mother.'" 

"Would  such  a  fate  be  intolerable  V 

Elena  drew  her  magnificent  figure  to  its  full 
height  and  looked  into  the  young  athlete's  face 
with  laughing  audacity. 

"  By  George,  Elena,  if  I  'm  honest  with  you, 
I  'd  have  to  say  no.  You  are  tall,  stately, 
dignified,  beautiful  from  the  crov/n  of  your 
black  hair  to  the  tip  of  your  dainty  toe  — 
the  most  stunning-looking  woman  I  ever 
saw.  I  never  think  of  you  as  a  girl  just  out 
of  school.  You  always  remind  me  of  a  glorious 
royal  figure  in  some  old  romance  of  the  Middle 
Ages " 

"Now  I'm  sure  I  love  you,  Norman  —  for 
the  moment  at  least." 

"Then  promise  to  go  with  me  on  a  lark 
to-night,"  he  suddenly  cried. 

"A  lark.?" 

Elena's  gray-blue  eyes  danced  beneath  their 
black  lashes. 

"Yes,  a  real  lark,  daring,  adventurous,  dan- 
gerous, audacious." 

"What  is  it  —  what  is  it.?     Tell  me  q^uick." 


10  COMRADES 

The  girl  seized  Norman's  arm  with  eager, 
childish  glee. 

"Let 's  go  to  that  Socialist  meeting  and  beard 
the  lion  in  his  den  =  " 

Elena  drew  back. 

"No.     Guardie  will  be  furious!" 

"Ah,  who  's  afraid  J     Guardie  be  hanged!" 

"Go  by  yourself." 

"No,  you  've  got  to  go  with  me." 

"I  won't  do  it.  You  just  want  to  worry  your 
father  and  then  hide  behind  my  skirts." 

"You  can  see  yourself  that's  the  easiest  way 
to  manage  it.  If  he  has  a  fit,  I  can  just  say  that 
your  curiosity  was  excited  and  I  had  to  go  with 
you." 

"But  it's  not  excited." 

"For  the  purposes  of  the  lark  I  tell  you  that 
it  is  excited.  There  's  too  much  patriotism  in  the 
air.  It 's  giving  me  nervous  prostration.  I  want 
something  to  brace  me  up.  I  think  those  fellows 
can  give  me  some  good  points  to  tease  the 
Governor  with." 

"Tease  the  Governor!  You  flatter  yourself, 
Norman.  He  does  n't  pay  any  more  attention  to 
your  talk  than  he  would  to  the  bark  of  a  six  weeks' 
old  puppy." 

"That's  what  riles  me.  The  Governor's  so 
cocksure  of  himself.     I  don't  know  how  to  answer 


THE  WOMAN  IN  RED  ii 

him,  but  I  know  he 's  wrong.  The  fury  with 
which  he  hates  the  Socialists  rouses  my  curiosity. 
I  've  always  found  that  the  good  things  in 
life  are  forbidden.  All  respectable  people 
are    positively    forbidden    to    attend    a    Socialist 

—  traitors' —  meeting.       For    that    reason    let 's 

go." 

"No." 

"Ah,  come  on.  Don't  be  a  chump.  Be  a 
sport!" 

"I  'd  like  the  lark,  but  I  won't  hurt  Guardie's 
feelings;  so  that 's  the  end  of  it." 

"Going  to  be  a  surprise,  they  say." 

"What  kind  of  a  surprise.?" 

■'Going  to  spring  a  big  sensation." 

Elena's  eyes  began  to  dance  again. 

"The  woman  called  the  Scarlet  Nun  is  going 
to  speak,  and  Herman  Wolf,  the  famous  'blond 
beast'  of  Socialism,  will  preside.     They  are  mates 

—  affinities." 
"Married.?" 

"God  knows.  A  hundred  weird  stories  about 
them,  circulate  in  the  under-world." 

"I  won't  go!  Don't  you  say  another  word!" 
Elena  snapped. 

Norman  was  silent. 

"Are  you  sure  it  would  be  perfectly  safe,  Nor- 
man?" the  girl  softly  asked. 


12     .  COMRADES 

"  Perfectly.  I  know  every  inch  of  that  quarter 
of  the  city  —  went  there  a  hundred  times  the 
year  I  was  a  reporter." 

"I  won't  go!" 

"  It 's  the  wickedest  street  in  town.  They  say 
it 's  the  worst  block  in  America." 

"I  don't  want  to  see  it."      Elena  laughed. 

"And  the  hall  is  a  famous  red-light  dancing 
dive  in  the  heart  of  Hell's  Half  Acre." 

"Hush!  Hush!  I  tell  you  I  won't  —  /  wont 
go!  But  —  but  if  I  do  —  you  promise  to  hold 
my  hand  every  minute,  Norman.?" 

"And  keep  my  arm  around  your  waist,  if  you 
like." 

Elena's  cheeks  flushed  and  her  voice  quivered 
with  excitement  as  she  paused  in  the  doorway. 

"  I  '11  be  ready  in  twenty  minutes  after  dinner. " 

"Bully  for  my  chum!  I'll  tell  the  Governor 
we've  gone  for  a  stroll." 

As  the  shadows  slowly  fell  over  the  city,  Nor- 
man led  Elena  down  the  marble  steps  of 
his  father's  palatial  home  and  paused  for  a  moment 
on  the  edge  of  the  hill  on  which  were 
perched  the  seats  of  the  mighty.  Elena  fumbled 
with  a  new  glove. 

"Are  you  ready  to  descend  with  me  to  the 
depths,  my  princess  in  disguise  .f"'  he  gaily 
asked. 


THE  WOMAN  IN  RED  13 

"Did  you  ever  know  me  to  flunk  when  I  gave 
my  word  ?  '* 

"No,  you  're  a  brick,  Elena." 

Norman  seized  her  arm  and  strode  down  the 
steep  hillside  with  sure,  firm  step,  the  girl  accom- 
panying his  every  movement  with  responsive  joy. 

"  You  're  awfully  wicked  to  get  me  into  a 
scrape  of  this  kind,  Norman,"  she  cried,  with 
bantering  laughter.  "You  know  I  was  dying 
to  go  slumming,  and  Guardie  would  n't  let  me. 
It 's  awfully  mean  of  you  to  take  advantage  of 
me  like  this." 

He  stopped  suddenly  and  looked  gravely  into 
her  flushed  face. 

"Let's  go  back,  then." 

"No!  I  won't." 

Norman  broke  into  a  laugh.  "Then  away 
with  vain  regrets!  And  remember  the  fate  of 
Lot's  wife. " 

Elena  pressed  his  hand  close  to  her  side  and 
whispered: 

"You  are  with  me.  The  big  handsome  captain 
of  last  year's  football  team*  Very  young  and 
very  vain  and  very  foolish  and  very  lazy  —  but 
I  do  think  you  'd  stand  by  me  in  a  scrap, 
Norman.     Wouldn't  you.?" 

"Well,  I  rather  think!"  was  the  deep 
answer,  half  whispered,  as  they  suddenly  turned 


14  COMRADES 

a  corner  and  plunged  into  the  red-light  district. 
His  strong  hand  gripped  her  wrist  with  unusual 
tenderness. 

"So  who  's  afraid  ?"  she  cried,  looking  up  into 
his  face  just  as  a  drunken  blear-eyed  woman 
staggered  through  an  open  door  and  lurched 
against  her. 

A  low  scream  of  terror  came  from  Elena  as 
she  sprang  back,  and  the  woman's  head  struck 
the  pavement  with  a  dull  whack.  Norman  bent 
over  her  and  started  to  lift  the  heavy  figure,  when 
her  fist  suddenly  shot  into  his  face. 

"Go  ter  hell  —  I  can  take  care  o'  myself!" 

"Evidently,"  he  laughed. 

Elena's  hand  suddenly  gripped  his. 

"Let's  go  back,  Norman." 

"  Nonsense  —  who  's    afraid  .? " 

"I  am.  I  don't  mind  saying  it.  This  is  more 
than  I  bargained  for." 

The  w^oman  scrambled  to  her  feet  and  limped 
back  into  the  doorway. 

Elena  shivered.  "I  did  n't  know  such  women 
lived  on  this  earth." 

"To  say  nothing  of  living  but  a  stone's  throw 
from  your  own  door,"  he  continued. 

"Let's  go  back,"  she  pleaded. 

"No.  A  thing  like  this  is  merely  one  more 
reason    why    we    should    keep    on.     This    only 


THE  WOMAN  IN  RED  15 

shows  that  the  world  we  live  in  is  n't  quite  perfect, 
as  the  Governor  seems  to  think.  These  Socialists 
may  be  right  after  all.  Now  that  we  've  started 
let's  hear  their  side  of  it.  Come  on!  Don't 
be  a  quitter!" 

Norman  seized  her  arm  and  hurried  through 
the  swiftly  moving  throng  of  the  under-world 
—  gambling  touts,  thieves,  cut-throats,  pick-pock- 
ets, opium  fiends,  drunkards,  thugs,  carousing 
miners,  and  sailors  —  but  above  all,  every- 
where, omnipresent,  the  abandoned  woman  — 
painted,  bedizened,  lurching  through  the  streets, 
hanging  in  doorways,  clinging  to  men  on  the 
sidewalks,  beckoning  from  windows,  sing- 
ing vulgar  songs  on  crude  platforms  among 
throngs  of  half-drunken  men,  whirling  past 
doors  and  windows  in  dance-halls,  their  cracked 
voices  shrill  and  rasping  above  the  din  of  cheap 
music. 

Elena  stopped  suddenly  and  clung  heavily  to 
Norman's  arm. 

"Please,  Norman,  let's  go  back.  I  can't 
endure    this." 

"And  you  're  my  chum  that  never  flunked 
when  she  gave  her  word  ?"  he  asked  with  scorn. 
"We  are  only  a  few  feet  from  the  hall  now." 

"Where  is  it?" 

"Right    there    in    the    middle    of    the     block 


i6  COMRADES 

where  you  see  that  sign  with  the  blazing  red 
torch." 

"Come  on,  then,"  Elena  said,  with  a  shudder. 

They  walked  quickly  through  the  long,  dimly 
lighted  passage  to  the  entrance  of  the  hall. 
It  was  densely  packed  with  a  crowd  of  five 
hundred.  Elena  closed  her  eyes  and  allowed 
Norman  to  lead  her  through  the  mob  that 
blocked  the  space  inside  the  door.  At  the 
entrance  to  the  centre  aisle  he  encountered 
an  usher  who  stared  with  bulging  eyes  at 
his  towering  figure.  Norman  leaned  close  and 
whispered : 

"My  boy,  can  you  possibly  get  us  two  seats  .?" 

"Can  I  git  de  captain  er  de  football  team  two 
seats.?     Well,   des  watch   me!" 

The  boy  darted  up  the  aisle,  dived  under  the 
platform,  drew  out  two  folding-chairs,  placed  them 
in  the  aisle  on  the  front  row,  darted  back,  and 
bowed  with  grave   courtesy. 

"Dis  way,  sir!" 

Norman  followed  with  Elena  clinging  timidly 
and  blindly  to  his  arm.  In  a  moment  they  were 
seated.     He  offered  the  boy  a  dollar. 

The  youngster  bowed  again. 

"De  honour  is  all  mine,  sir.  But  you  can  give 
it  to  the  Cause  when  they  pass  the  box." 

Norman  turned  to  Elena.     "Well,  does  n't  that 


THE  WOMAN  IN  RED  17 

jar  you  ?  A  sixteen-year-old  boy  declines  a  tip, 
and  says  give  it  to  the  Cause!" 

The  boy  darted  up  the  steps  of  the  platform  and 
whispered   to  the   chairman: 

"Git  on  to  his  curves!  Dat  's  de  captain  o'  de 
football  —  de  bloke  dat 's  worth  miUions,  an' 
don't  give  a  doggone!" 

A  woman  dressed  in  deep  red  who  sat  beside 
the  chairman  leaned  close  and  asked  with  quiet 
intensity: 

"You  mean  young  Worth,  the  millionaire 
of  Nob  Hill?" 

" Bet yer life!  Dat 'shim!" 

The  woman  in  red  whispered  to  the  chairman, 
who  nodded,  while  his  keen  gray  eyes  flashed  a 
ray  of  light  from  his  heavy  brows  as  he  turned 
toward  Norman. 

The  woman  wheeled  suddenly  in  her  chair,  and 
with  her  back  to  the  audience  bent  over  a  girl 
who  was  evidently  hiding  behind  her. 

"Outdo  yourself  to-night,  Barbara.  Young 
Norman  Worth,  the  son  of  our  multi-millionaire 
nabob,  is  sitting  in  the  aisle  just  in  front  of  you. 
Win  him  for  the  Cause  and  I  '11  give  you  the  half 
of  our  kingdom." 

"How  can  I  know  him.^"  the  girl  asked 
excitedly. 

"  He  's  not  ten  feet  from  the  platform   in  the 


1 8  COMRADES 

centre  aisle  —  front  row  —  clean  shaven  —  a 
young  giant  of  twenty -three  —  the  handsomest 
man  in  the  house.  Put  your  soul  and  your  body 
in  every  word  you  utter,  every  breath  you  breathe 
—  and  win  him!" 

"  I  '11  try,"  was  the  low  reply. 


CHAPTER  II 

A  NEW  JOAN  OF  ARC 

THE  woman  in  scarlet  rose,  lifted  her  hand, 
and  the  crowd  sprang  to  their  feet  to  the 
music  of  the  most  stirring  song  of  revolution  ever 
written. 

Norman  and  Elena  were  both  swept  from  their 
seats  in  spite  of  themselves.  Elena's  eyes  flashed 
with   excitement. 

"What  on  earth  is  that  they  are  singing,  Nor- 
man?" she  whispered. 

*'The  Marseillaise  hymn." 

"Isn't  it  thrilling.?"  she  gasped. 

"It  makes  your  heart  leap,  does  n't  it?" 

"  And,  heavens,  how  they  sing  it ! "  she  exclaimed. 

Norman  turned  and  looked  over  the  crowd  of 
eager  faces  —  every  man  and  woman  singing  with 
the  passionate  enthusiasm  of  religious  fanatics  — 
an  enthusiasm  electric,  contagious,  overwhelming. 
In  spite  of  himself  he  felt  his  heart  beat  with 
quickened  sympathy. 

He  was  amazed  at  the  character  of  the  audience. 
He  had  expected  to  see  a  throng  of  low-browed 
brutes.     The  first  shock  he  received  was  the  feel- 

19 


20  COMRADES 

ing  that  this  crowd  was  distinctly  an  intellectual 
one.  They  might  be  fanatics.  They  certainly 
were  not  fools.  The  stamp  of  personality  was 
clean  cut  on  almost  every  face.  They  were 
fighters.  They  meant  business  and  they  did  n*t 
care  who  knew  it.  Some  of  them  wore  dirty 
clothes,  but  their  faces  were  stamped  with  the 
power  of  free,  rebellious  thought  —  a  power  that 
always  commands  respect  in  spite  of  shabby 
clothes.  He  looked  in  vain  for  a  single  joyous  face. 
Not  a  smile.  Deep,  dark  eyes,  shining  with  the 
light  of  purpose,  mouths  firm,  headstrong,  merci- 
less, and  bitter,  but  nowhere  the  glimmer  of  a  ray 
of  sunlight!  He  felt  with  a  sense  of  awe  the 
uncanny  presence  of  Tragedy. 

And  to  his  amazement  he  noticed  a  lot  of  men  he 
knew  in  the  crowd  —  three  or  four  authors,  a 
newspaper  reporter  evidently  off  duty,  two  college 
professors,  a  clergyman,  three  artists,  a  priest,  and 
a  street  preacher. 

The  hymn  died  away  into  a  low  sigh,  like  the 
sob  of  the  wind  after  a  storm.  The  crowd  sank 
to  their  seats  so  quietly  with  the  dying  of  the  music 
that  Norman  and  Elena  were  standing  alone  for  an 
instant.  They  awoke  from  the  spell,  and  dropped 
into  their  seats  with  evident  embarrassment. 

A  boy  of  sixteen  stepped  briskly  to  the  front  in 
answer  to  a  nod  from  the  chairman,  and  recited  a 


A  NEW  JOAN  OF  ARC  21 

Socialist  poem.  After  the  first  stanza,  which  was 
crude  and  stilted,  Norman's  eye  rested  on  the 
heavy  figure  of  the  chairman.  He  was  surprised 
at  the  power  of  his  rugged  face.  Through  its 
brute  strength  flashed  the  keenest  sense  of  alert 
intelligence  —  an  intelligence  which  seemed  to 
lurk  behind  the  big,  shaggy  eyebrows  as  if 
about  to  spring  on  its  victim.  His  heavy-set  face 
was  covered  with  a  thick,  reddish  blond  beard 
and  his  short  hair  stood  up  straight  on  his  head, 
like  the  bristles  of  a  wild  boar.  Of  medium  height 
and  heavy  build,  with  arms  and  legs  of  extraordi- 
nary muscle  and  big,  coarse  short  fingers  evidently 
gnarled  and  knotted,  by  the  coarsest  labor  in  youth, 
he  looked  like  a  blacksmith  who  had  taken  a  college 
course  by  the  light  of  his  forge  at  night.  There 
was  something  about  the  way  he  sat  crouching  low 
in  his  seat,  watching  with  his  keen  gray  eyes  every- 
thing that  passed,  that  bespoke  the  man  of  reserve 
power  —  the  man  who  was  quietly  waiting  his  hour. 

"By  George,  a  pretty  good  pet  name  they've 
given  him  —  'The  Blond  Beast,'"  Norman 
muttered.  *'  I  should  n't  like  to  tackle  him  in 
the  dark." 

The  woman  in  red  leaned  toward  the  chair- 
man and  said  something  in  low  tones.  He 
nodded  his  massive  head,  smiled,  and  looked  hick 
over  his  shoulder  at  the  girl  sitting  behind  them. 


22  COMRADES 

The  movement  showed  for  the  first  time  a  long 
ugly  scar  on  the  side  of  his  great  neck. 

*'Look  at  that  fellow's  neck!"  whispered  Elena. 

"Yes.  He  had  a  close  call  that  time,"  Nor- 
man answered.  "But  I  '11  bet  the  other  one  never 
lived  to  tell  the  story " 

*'Sh!    *The  Scarlet  Nun*  is  going  to  speak." 

The  woman  in  red  rose  and  walked  to  the  edge 
of  the  platform.  She  stood  silent  for  a  moment, 
her  tall,  graceful,  willowy  figure  erect  and  tense. 
The  crowd  burst  into  a  tumult  of  applause.  She 
smiled,  bowed,  and  lifted  her  slender  hand  with  a 
quick,  imperious  gesture  for  silence. 

Norman  was  struck  by  the  note  of  religious 
fervour  which  her  whole  personality  seemed  to 
radiate.  The  peculiar  scarlet  robe  she  wore 
accented  this  impression  perhaps,  and  its 
strangeness  added  a  touch  of  awe.  The  dress 
gave  one  the  impression  of  a  nun's  garb  except 
that  its  long  folds  were  so  arranged  that  they 
revealed  rather  than  concealed  the  beautiful  lines 
of  her  graceful  figure.  The  colour  was  the  deep, 
warm  red  of  the  Socialist  flag  —  the  colour  of 
human  blood,  chosen  as  the  symbol  of  the 
universal  brotherhood  of  man.  The  effect  of  a 
nun's  cowl  was  given  by  a  thin  scarlet  mantilla 
thrown  over  the  head,  the  silken  meshes  of  its  long 
fringe  mingling  with  the  waves  of  her  thick  black 


A  NEW  JOAN  OF  ARC  23 

hair.  Her  face  was  that  of  a  madonna  of  the 
slender  type,  except  that  the  Hps  were  too  full, 
round,  and  sensuous  and  her  long  eyelashes 
drooped  slightly  over  dark,  lustrous  eyes. 

"  Comrades,"  she  began,  in  slow,  measured  tones, 
"after  to-night  I  retire  from  the  platform  to  take  up 
work  for  which  I  am  better  fitted.  I  promised 
you  a  big  surprise  this  evening,  and  you  shall 
not  be  disappointed " 

A  murmur  rippled  the  audience  and  she  paused, 
smiling  into  Norman's  face  with  a  curious  look. 
She  spoke  with  a  decided  foreign  accent  with  little 
moments  of  coquettish  hesitation  as  though  feeling 
for  words.  Norman  felt  an  almost  irresistible 
impulse  to  help  her. 

"I  am  going  to  in-tro-duce  to  you  to-night," 
she  continued,  *'a  new  leader,  whose  tongue  the 
God  of  the  poor  and  the  outcast  and  the  dis-in-heri- 
ted  has  touched  with  divine  fire.  She  is  no  stran-ger. 
Twenty  years  ago  she  was  born  beneath 
the  bright  skies  of  Cal-i-for-nia  at  Anaheim, 
in  the  little  Socialist  colony  of  Polish  dreamers 
led  by  Madame  Modjeska,  Count  Bozenta,  and 
Henry  Sienkiewicz,  the  distin-guished  author  of 
*Quo  Vadis.'  As  you  know,  the  colony  failed. 
Her  mother  died  in  poverty  and  she  was  placed  in 
an  orphan  asylum  until  eight  years  of  age,  when  she 
was  taken  back  to  Poland  by  her  foolish  kins-men.. 


24  COMRADES 

Four  years  later  I  found  her,  a  ragged,  homeless 
waif,  in  the  streets  of  Warsaw,  alone  and  star-ving. 
Since  then  she  has  been  mine.  Amid  the  squalor 
and  misery  of  the  old  world  her  busy  little  tongue 
never  tired  telling  of  the  glories  of  Cali-for-nia! 
Always  she  sighed  for  its  groves  of  oranges  and 
olives,  its  dazzling  flowers,  its  luscious  grapes,  its 
rich  valleys,  its  cloud-kissed,  snow-clad  mountains 
and  the  mur-mur  of  its  mighty  seas!  It  was 
her  tiny  hand  that  led  me  across  the  ocean  to 
you.  I  have  sent  her  to  school  in  one  of  your 
Western  colleges  where  a  great  Socialist  professor 
has  taught  her  history  and  e-con-omics.  I  have 
the  high  honour,  comrades,  of  intro-ducing  to  you 
the  child  of  genius  who  from  to-night  will  be  the 
Joan  of  Arc  of  our  Cause,  Comrade  Barbara 
Bozenta!" 

She  quickly  turned  and  drew  forward  a  trem- 
bling slip  of  a  girl  whose  big  brown  eyes  were  swim- 
ming in  tears  of  excitement.  A  moment  of  intense 
silence,  and  the  crowd  burst  into  cheers  as  the 
dazzling  beauty  of  their  new  champion  slowly 
dawned  on  their  understanding.  The  woman  in 
red  resumed  her  seat,  and  the  girl  stood  bowing, 
trembling,  and  smiling. 

The  young  athlete  watched  her  keenly.  Never 
had  he  seen  such  a  bundle  of  quivering, 
pulsing,    nervous,    ravishing    beauty.     He    could 


A  NEW  JOAN  OF  ARC  25 

have  sworn  he  saw  electric  sparks  flash  from  the 
tips  of  every  eyelash,  from  every  strand  of  the  mass 
of  brown  curls  that  circled  her  face  and  fell  in  rich 
profusion  on  her  shoulders  and  across  her  heaving 
bosom.  He  felt  before  she  had  uttered  a  word  — 
felt,  rather  than  saw  —  the  remarkable  effective- 
ness of  the  simple,  girlish  dress  which  enhanced  her 
dark  beauty.  She  wore  the  same  deep  red  as  the 
older  woman,  but  the  bottom  of  the  skirt  was  re- 
lieved by  a  row  of  ruffles  edged  with  white  lace. 
A  scarf  of  white  embroidered  at  the  ends  with 
scarlet  flowers,  was  thrown  gracefully  around  her 
shoulders  and  hung  below  the  knees.  Her  round 
young  arms  were  bare  to  the  elbows,  her  throat 
and  neck  bare  to  the  upper  edge  of  the  full  bust. 
The  girl's  eyes  sought  Norman's  for  an  imper- 
ceptible instant  and  a  smile  flashed  from  her 
trembling  lips.  The  cheering  ceased  and  she 
began  to  speak.  He  watched  her  with  breathless 
intensity,  and  listened  with  steadily  increasing 
fascination.  Her  voice  at  first  was  low,  yet  every 
word  fell  clear  and  distinct.  Never  had  he  heard 
a  voice  so  tender  and  full  of  expressive  feeling  — 
soft  and  mellow,  sweet  like  the  notes  of  a  flute. 
There  was  something  in  its  tone  quality  that 
compelled  sympathy,  that  stole  into  the  inner 
depths  of  the  soul  of  the  listener,  and  led  reason 
a  willino;  captive. 


26  COMRADES 

In  simple  yet  burning  words  she  told  of  the 
darkness  and  poverty,  the  crime  and  shame, 
hunger  and  cruelty  of  the  old  world  in  which  she 
had  spent  four  years  of  her  childhood.  And  then 
in  a  flight  of  poetic  eloquence,  came  the  stor}^  of 
her  dreams  of  California,  the  Golden  West,  the 
land  of  eternal  sunshine  and  flowers.  And  then, 
in  a  voice  quivering  and  choking  with  emotion, 
she  drew  the  picture  of  what  she  found  —  of 
Hell's  Half  Acre,  in  which  she  stood,  with  its 
brazen  vice,  its  crime,  its  hopeless  misery,  its  want 
and  despair.  With  bold  and  fierce  invective  she 
charged  modern  civilization  with  this  infamy. 

"Why  do  strong  men  go  forth  to  war?"  she 
cried,  looking  into  the  depths  of  Norman's  soul. 
*'  Here  is  the  enemy  at  your  door,  gripping  the  soft, 
white  throats  of  your  girls.  Watch  them  sink  into 
the  mire  at  your  feet  and  then  down,  down  into 
the  black  sewers  of  the  under-world  never  to 
rise  again!  I,  too,  call  for  volunteers.  For 
heroes  and  heroines  —  not  to  fight  another  —  I 
call  you  to  a  nobler  warfare.  I  call  you  to  the 
salvation  of  a  world.  Will  you  come  ^  I  offer 
you  stones  for  bread,  the  sky  for  your  canopy,  the 
earth  for  your  bed,  and  for  your  wages  death! 
None  may  enter  but  the  brave.  Will  you 
come ? " 

The   last   words   of  her   appeal   rang   through 


A  NEW  JOAN  OF  ARC  27 

Norman's  heart  with  resistless  power.  Her  round, 
soft  arms  seemed  about  his  neck  and  his  soul  went 
out  to  her  in  passionate  yearning.  He  gripped 
the  chair  to  hold  himself  back  from  shoutinp;: 

o 

"Yes!     I  'm  coming!" 

She  sank  to  her  seat  before  the  crowd  realized 
that  she  had  stopped.  A  shout  of  triumph  shook 
the  building  —  wave  after  wave,  rising  and  falling 
in  ever-increasing  intensity.  At  its  height  the 
Scarlet  Nun  sprang  to  her  feet,  with  a  graceful 
leap  reached  the  edge  of  the  platform,  and  again 
lifted  her  hand      A  sudden  hush  fell  on  the  crowd. 

"Now,  comrades,  the  battle-hymn  of  the 
Republic  set  to  new  music!  Mark  its  words,  and 
remember  that  we  sing  it  not  as  a  mem-ory,  but  as 
a  proph-esy  of  the  day  our  streets  may  run  red  with 
the  blood  of  the  last  struggle  of  Man  to  break  his 
chains  of  Slav-ery  —  a  proph-esy,  remember,  not  a 
mem-ory!     Read  it  Barbara!" 

The  girl  was  by  her  side  in  an  instant,  and  read 
from  memory,  her  clear  sweet  voice  tremulous 
with   passion: 

"  Mine  eyes  have  seen  the  glory  of  the  coming  of  the 
Lord  ; 
He  is  trampling  out  the  vintage  vyhere  the  grapes  of 

wrath  are  stored  ; 
He   has   loosed  the  fateful  lightning  of  his  terrible 

swift  s\vord  : 
His  truth  is  marching  on! 


28  COMRADES 

I  have  seen  Him   in  the  watch-fires  of  a  hundred 

circling  camps  ; 
They  have  builded  Him    an   altar   in   the  evening's 

dews  and  damps  ; 
I  can  read  His  righteous    sentence  by  the  dim  and 

flaring  lamps  : 
His  day  is  marching  on! 

He  has  sounded  forth  the  trumpet  that  shall  never 
call  retreat  ; 

He  is  sifting  out  the  hearts  of  men  before  His  judg- 
ment seat; 

Oh!  be  swift,  my  soul,  to  answer  them,  be  jubilant 
my  feet! 

Our  God  is  marching  on!  " 

The  crowd  burst  again  into  triumphant  song, 
and  Norman  looked  at  their  faces  with  increasing 
amazement.  The  immense  vitality  of  their  faith, 
the  rush  of  its  forward  movement,  the  grandeur  and 
audacity  of  their  programme  struck  him  as  a 
revelation.  They  proposed  no  half-way  measures. 
They  meant  to  uproot  the  foundations  of  modern 
society  and  build  a  new  world  on  its  ruins.  Their 
leaders  were  fanatics  —  yes.  But  fanatics  were 
the  only  kind  of  people  who  would  dare  such  things 
and  do  them.  Here  was  a  movement,  which  at 
least  meant  something  —  something  big,  heroic, 
daring.  His  face  suddenly  flushed  and  his  heart 
leaped  with  an  impulse. 

"In  heaven's  name,  Norman,  what 's  the  mat- 
ter?" Elena  asked. 


A  NEW  JOAN  OF  ARC  29 

The  young  poet-athlete  looked  at  her  in  a  dazed 
sort  of  way  and  stammered : 

"  Did  you  ever  see  anything  like  it  ? " 

"No,  and  I  don't  want  to  again,"  she  replied 
with  a  frown.     "Let's  go  home." 

"Wait,  they  are  taking  up  a  collection.  At 
least  we  must  pay  for  our  seats." 

When  the  usher  passed  he  emptied  the  contents 
of  his  pocket  in  the  collection-box. 

As  the  meeting  broke  up,  the  boy  who  placed 
their  seats  touched  Norman  on  the  arm. 

"Let  me  introduce  ye  to  her,  I  wants  ter  tell 
'er  ye  er  my  friend  —  I  've  yelled  my  head  off  for 
ye  many  a  day  on  de  football  ground.  Jest  er 
minute.     I  '11  fetch  'er  right  down. " 

The  boy  darted  up  on  the  platform,  and 
Norman    turned    to    Elena: 

"Shall  we  please  the  boy.?" 

"You  mean  yourself,"  she  replied.  "I  decline 
the   honour." 

She  turned  away  into  the  crowd  as  the  boy 
returned  leading  Barbara. 

Norman  hastened  to  meet  them  at  the  foot  of 
the  platform  steps. 

"  Dis  is  me  friend.  Worth,  de  captain  of  de  foot- 
ball team,  Miss  Barbara, "  proudly  exclaimed  the 
boy. 

Barbara  extended  her  soft  hand  with  a  warm, 


30  COMRADES 

friendly  smile,  and  Norman  clasped  it  while  his 
heart  throbbed. 

"I  congratulate  you,"  he  said,  "on  your  wonder- 
ful triumph  to-night. " 

"You  were  interested?"  she  asked,  quietly. 

"  More  than  I  can  tell  you,"  was  the  quick 
response. 

"  Then  join  our  club  and  help  me  in  my  work 
among  the  poor,"  she  urged,  with  frank  eagerness. 
"We  meet  to-morrow  afternoon  at  three  o'clock. 
Won't  you   come?" 

A  long,  deep  look  into  her  brown  eyes  —  his 
face  flushed  and  his  heart  leaped  with  sudden 
resolution. 

"Thank  you,  I  will,"  he  slowly  answered. 

He  joined  Elena  at  the  door  and  they  walked 
home  in  brooding  silence. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE   BIRTH  OF  A  MAN 

NORMAN  Stood  silent  and  thoughtful  before 
the  fire  in  the  dining-room,  the  morning 
after  the  meeting  of  the  Socialists.  His  sleep  had 
been  feverish  and  a  hundred  half-formed  dreams 
had  haunted  the  moments  in  which  he  had  lost 
consciousness  with  always  the  shining  face  of 
Barbara  smiling  and  beckoning  him  on. 

Elena  silently  entered  and  watched  him  a 
moment  before  he  saw  her. 

"Still  dreaming  of  the  New  Joan  of  Arc,  Nor- 
man .f*"  she  asked  with  playful  banter. 

"I  'm  going  to  do  it,  Elena,"  he  said,  with 
slow,  thoughtful  emphasis. 

"What .?  Marry  her  without  even  giving  me  the 
usual  two  weeks'  notice?"  Elena  laughed. 

"Now,  is  n't  that  like  a  woman!  I  was  n't  even 
thinking  of  the  girl " 

"Of  course  not." 

Norman  laughed.  "By  Jove,  you're  jealous 
at  last,  Elena." 

"You  flatter  yourself." 

"Honestly,  I  was  n't  thinking  of  the  girl '* 

3» 


32  COMRADES 

"Well,  I  've  been  thinking  of  her.  She  haunts 
me.  I  like  her  and  I  hate  her.  I  feel  that  she  's 
charming  and  vicious,  of  the  spirit  and  flesh,  and 
yet  I  can't  help  believing  that  she  's  good.  The 
woman  who  introduced  her  is  a  she-devil,  and  the 
man  who  presided  over  that  meeting  is  a  brute. 
It 's  a  pity  she  's  mixed  up  with  them.  What  are 
you  going  to  do  —  play  the  hero  and  rescue  her 
from  their  clutches  ?" 

"Nonsense.  The  girl  is  nothing  to  me,  except 
as  the  symbol  of  a  great  idea.  It  stirs  my  blood. 
I  'm  going  to  join  the  Socialist  Club." 

"Of  which  the  fair  Barbara  is  secretary." 

"Come  with  me,  and  join  too.  We'll  go 
together  to  every  meeting." 

"Have  you  gone  mad.''"  Elena  asked,  with 
deep  seriousness. 

"I  'm  in  dead  earnest." 

"And  you  think  your  father  will  stand  for  it?" 

"That  remains  to  be  seen.  I  'm  going  to  tackle 
him  as  soon  as  he  comes  down  to  breakfast." 

"Well,  if  I  never  see  you  again,  good-bye,  old 
pal. "     She  extended  her  hand  in  mock  gravity. 

"I  'm  not  afraid  of  him." 

"No,  of  course  not!" 

"You're  a  coward,  or  you'd  stand  by  me. 
Wait,  Elena,  he  's  coming  now. " 

"Why  stand    by.?     You're    not    afraid.?     I'll 


THE  BIRTH  OF  A  MAN 


33 


return    in    time     for    the    inquest.       Brace     up! 
Remember  Barbara.     Be  a  hero!" 

With  a  ripple  of  laughter  she  disappeared  as 
the  Colonel's  footsteps  were  heard  at  the  door- 
Norman  braced  himself  for  the  ordeal.  He  had 
never  before  dared  to  test  his  father's  iron  will. 
He  had  grown  accustomed  to  see  strong  men  bow 
and  cringe  before  him,  and  felt  a  secret  contempt 
for  them  all.  They  were  bowing  to  his  millions. 
And  yet  the  boy  knew  with  intuitive  certainty  that 
beneath  the  mask  of  quiet  dignity  and  polished 
military  bearing  of  the  man  he  facetiously  called 
"the  Governor"  there  slumbered  a  will  unique, 
powerful,  and  overbearing.  More  than  once  he 
had  resented  the  silent  pressure  of  his  positive  and 
aggressive  personality.  His  own  budding  manhood 
had  begun  instinctively  to  bristle  at  its  approach. 
The  Colonel  started  on  seeing  Norman,  and 
looked  at  him  with  a  quizzical  expression. 

"Was    there    an    earthquake     this     morning, 
Norman  ?" 

"I  did  n't  feel  it,  sir  —  why  ?" 
"You  're  downstairs  rather  early." 
Norman  smiled.  *'I  've  been  a  little  lazy,  I  'm 
afraid,  Governor.  But  you  know  I  was  n't  con- 
sulted as  to  whether  I  wished  to  be  born.  You 
assumed  a  fearful  responsibility.  You  see  the 
results." 


34  COMRADES 

The  Colonel  dropped  his  paper  and  looked  at 
Norman  a  moment. 

**Well5  upon  my  word!"  he  exclaimed. 
"What's   happened?" 

"The  biggest  thing  that  ever  came  into  my  life, 
Governor,"  was  the  low,  serious  answer. 

"What?" 

"The  decision  that  hereafter  I  'd  rather  be  than 
seem  to  be,  that  I  'm  going  to  do  some  thinking 
for  myself." 

"And  what  brought  you  to  this  decision?'*  the 
father  quietly  asked. 

"I  went  last  night  to  that  Socialist  meeting." 

"Indeed!" 

"Yes,"  he  went  on,  impetuously,  "and  I  heard 
the  most  wonderful  appeal  to  which  I  ever 
listened  —  an  appeal  which  stirred  me  to  the 
deepest  depths  of  my  being.  I  think  it 's  the 
biggest  movement  of  the  century.  I  'm  going  to 
study  it.  I  'm  going  to  see  what  it  means. 
What  do  you  say  to  it  ?" 

The  boy  lifted  his  tall  figure  with  instinctive 
dignity,  and  his  eyes  met  his  father's  in  a  straight, 
deep   man's  gaze. 

The  faintest  smile  played  about  the  corners  of 
the  Colonel's  mouth  as  he  suddenly  extended  his 
hand. 

"I  congratulate  you!" 


THE  BIRTH  OF  A  MAN  35 

*' Congratulate  me?"  Norman  stammered. 

**Upon  the  attainment  of  your  majority.  Up 
to  date  you  have  written  a  few  verses  and  played 
football.  But  this  is  the  first  evidence  you  have 
ever  shown  of  conscious  personality.  You  're 
in  the  grub-worm  stage  as  yet,  but  you  *re  on 
the  move.  You  're  a  human  being.  You  have 
developed  the  germ  of  character.  And  that 's 
the  only  thing  in  this  world  that  's  worth  the 
candle,  my  boy.  It  's  funny  to  hear  you  say  that 
the  appeal  of  Socialism  has  worked  this  miracle. 
For  character  is  the  one  thing  the  scheme  of  Social- 
ism leaves  out  of  account.  A  character  is  the  one 
thing  a  machine-made  society  could  never  pro- 
duce if  given  a  million  years  in  which  to  develop 
the  experiment." 

"And  you  don't  object?"  Norman  asked  with 
increasing  amazement. 

"  Certainly  not.  Study  Socialism  to  your  heart's 
content.  Go  to  the  bottom  of  it.  Don't  slop  over 
it.  Don't  accept  sentimental  mush  for  facts. 
Find  out  for  yourself.  Read,  think,  and  learn  to 
know  your  fellow  man.  When  you  've  picked  up 
a  few  first  principles,  and  know  enough  to  talk 
intelligently,  I  've  something  to  say  to  you  —  some- 
thing I  've  learned  for  myself." 

The  boy  looked  at  his  father  steadily  and  spoke 
with  a  slight  tremor  in  his  voice. 


36  COMRADES 

"Governor,  you're  a  bigger  man  than  I  thought 
you  were.  I  Hke  you  —  even  if  you  are  my 
father." 

"Thanks,  my  boy,"  the  Colonel  gravely  replied, 
"I  trust  we  may  know  each  other  still  better  in  the 
future." 


CHAPTER  IV 


AMONG  THE   SHADOWS 


UNDER  the  tutelage  of  Barbara,  the  young 
millionaire  plunged  into  the  study  of 
Socialism  with  the  zeal  of  the  fresh  convert  to  a 
holy  crusade. 

At  first  he  had  listened  to  her  stories  of  the 
sufferings  of  the  poor  and  the  unemployed  with 
mild  incredulity.  She  laid  her  warm  little  hand 
on  his  and  said: 

"Come  and  see.  If  you  think  that  Socialism 
is  a  dream,  I  '11  show  you  that  capitalism  is  a 
nightmare." 

He  followed  her  down  the  ugly  pavements  of  a 
squalid  street  into  the  poorest  quarter  of  the  city. 
She  entered  a  dingy  hall  and  pushed  her  way 
through  a  swarm  of  filthy  children  to  the  rear  room. 
On  a  bed  of  rags  lay  the  body  of  a  suicide  —  a 
working-man  who  had  shot  himself  the  day  before. 
The  wife  sat  crouching  on  a  broken  chair,  with 
eyes  staring  out  of  the  window  at  the  sunlit  skies  of 
a  May  morning  in  California.  Her  body  seemed 
to  have  turned  to  stone  and  her  eyes  to  have 
frozen  in  their  sockets.     Her  hands  lay  limp  in  her 


38  COMRADES 

lap,  her  shoulders  drooped,  her  mouth  hung 
hopelessly  open.  She  was  as  dead  to  every  sight 
and  sound  of  earth  as  though  shrouded  and  buried 
in  six  feet  of  clay  instead  of  sunlight. 

Barbara  touched  her  shoulder,  but  she  did  not 
move. 

"Have  you  been  sitting  there  all  night,  Mrs. 
Nelson.^"  she  asked,  gently. 

The  woman  turned  her  weak  eyes  toward  the 
speaker  and  stared  without  reply. 

"You  have  n't  tasted  the  food  I  brought  you," 
Barbara  continued. 

The  drooping  figure  stirred  with  sudden  energy, 
as  if  the  realization  of  the  question  first  asked  had 
begun  to  stir  her  intelligence. 

"Yes.  I  set  up  all  night  with  Jim.  He'd 
a-done  as  much  fer  me.  There  's  nobody  else 
that  cared  enough  to  come.  Ye  know  it  ain  't 
respectful  to  leave  your  dead  alone " 

"But  you  must  eat  something,"  Barbara  urged. 

"I  can't  eat  —  it  chokes  me."  She  paused 
a  moment,  and  looked  at  Norman  in  a  dazed  sort 
of  way.  "I  tried  to  eat  and  something  choked 
me  —  what  was  it  ?  O  God,  I  remember 
now!"  she  cried,  with  strangling  emotion.  "They 
are  going  to  bury  him  in  the  potter's  field  unless 
we  can  save  him,  and  I  know  we  can't.  He  's 
got  an  old  mother  way  back  East  that  thinks  he  *s 


AMONG  THE  SHADOWS  39 

doing  well  out  here.  Hit  '11  kill  her  dead  when 
she  finds  out  he  wuz  buried  by  the  city." 

"He  shan't  go  to  the  potter's  field,"  Norman 
interrupted,  looking  out  of  the  window 

The  woman  rose,  and  tried  to  speak,  but  sank 
sobbing: 

"Thank  God!     Thank  God!     Thank  God!" 

When  the  first  flood  of  grateful  emotion  had 
spent  itself,  she  looked  up  at  Norman  and  said: 

"You  see,  sir,  he  was  n't  strong,  and  kept  losin' 
his  job  in  Chicago.  We  'd  heard  about  Califor- 
nia all  our  lives.  We  sold  out  everything  and 
got  enough  to  come.  For  two  years  we  've  made 
a  hard  fight,  but  it  was  no  use.  Jim  could  n't 
git  work,  I  tried  and  I  could  n't.  Folks  have 
helped  us,  but  he  was  proud.  He  would  n't  beg 
and  he  would  n't  let  me.  He  would  n't  sell  his 
gun.  I  think  he  always  meant  to  use  it  that  way 
when  he  got  to  the  end,  and  it  come  yesterday 
when  they  give  us  notice  to  git  out." 

She  staggered  over  to  the  bed  and  fell  across 
the  body,   sobbing: 

"My  poor  old  boy.  He  loved  me.  He  was 
always  good  to  me.  I  tried  to  go  with  him.  But 
I  could  n't  pull  the  trigger!  I  was  afraid!  I  was 
afraid!" 

When  they  reached  the  street,  Barbara  lifted 
her  brown  eyes  to  Norman's  face  and  asked: 


40  COMRADES 

"What  do  you  think  of  a  social  system  that 
drives  thousands  of  men  to  kill  themselves  like 
that?" 

"To  tell  you  the  truth  I  never  thought  of  it  at 
all  before." 

"He  would  have  been  buried  in  a  pauper's 
grave  but  for  your  help.  I  brought  you  here 
this  morning  because  I  knew  you  would  save  her 
that  anguish  when  you  understood." 

"You  knew  I  would  .?"  he  softly  asked. 

"  I  would  n't  have  let  you  come  with  me  if  I 
had  n't  known  it,"  she  answered,  earnestly. 

"It  's  funny  how  many  of  us  live  in  this  world 
without  knowing  anything  about  it,"  he  said, 
musingly. 

"It  would  be  funny  were  it  not  a  tragedy,"  she 
answered,  turning  across  the  street  to  the  next 
block.  They  paused  at  the  entrance  of  another 
narrow  hallway. 

"My  work  as  secretary  of  the  club  includes, 
as  you  see,  a  wide  range  of  calls.  I  'm  a  dis- 
penser of  alms,  the  pastor  of  a  great  parish,  the 
friend,  adviser,  and  champion  of  a  lost  world, 
and  you  have  no  idea  what  a  big  world  it  is." 

"I'm  beginning  to  understand.  What's  the 
trouble  here?     Another  suicide?" 

"No  —  something  worse,  I  think.  A  man  who 
was   afraid   to   die   and   took  to   drink.     That's 


AMONG  THE  SHADOWS  41 

the  way  with  most  of  them.  None  but  the  brave 
can  look  into  the  face  of  Death.  This  man  is 
good  to  his  family  until  he  's  drunk.  Drink  is 
the  only  thing  that  makes  life  worth  the  candle  to 
him.  But  when  he 's  under  the  influence  of 
liquor  he  's  a  fiend.  Last  night  he  beat  his  wife 
into  insensibility.  This  morning  he  sent  one  of 
the  children  for  me." 

They  climbed  two  flights  of  rickety  stairs  and 
entered  a  room  littered  with  broken  furniture. 
Every  chair  was  smashed,  the  table  lay  in  splin- 
ters, pieces  of  crockery  scattered  everywhere, 
and  the  stove  broken  into  fragments.  Two  blear- 
eyed  children  with  the  look  of  hunted  rabbits 
crouched  in  a  corner.  A  man  was  bendino-  over 
the  bed,  where  the  form  of  a  woman  lay  still  and 
white. 

"For  God's  sake,  brace  up,  Mary!"  he  was 
saying.  "Ye  mustn't  die!  Ye  mustn't,  I  tell 
ye!  Your  white  face  will  haunt  me  and  drive  me 
into  hell  a  raving  maniac.  I  did  n't  know  what 
I  was  doin',  old  gal.  I  was  crazy.  I  would  n't 
'a'  hurt  a  hair  of  your  head  if  I  'd  'a'  knowed  what 
I  was  doin'!" 

He  bowed  his  face  in  his  coarse,  bloated  hands 
and  sobbed. 

The  thin  white  hand  of  the  wife  stroked  his 
hair  feebly. 


42  COMRADES 

"  It 's  all  right,  Sam.  I  know  ye  did  n't  mean 
it,"  she  sighed. 

Norman  sent  for  a  doctor,  and  left  some  money. 

With  each  new  glimpse  of  the  under-world  of 
pain  and  despair  the  conviction  grew  in  Norman's 
mind  that  he  had  not  lived,  and  the  determination 
deepened  that  he  would  get  acquainted  with  his 
fellow  men  and  the  place  he  called  his  home. 

"You  are  not  tired  .f"'  Barbara  asked,  as  they 
hurried  into  the  street. 

"No,  I  'm  just  beginning  to  live,"  he  answered, 
soberly. 

"Good.  Then  you  shall  be  allowed  the  honour 
of  accompanying  me  to  the  county  jail,  to  the 
poorhouse,  to  the  hospital,  and  to  the  morgue  — 
the  four  greatest  institutions  of  modern  civiliza- 
tion. We  must  hurry.  I  've  another  sadder 
visit  after  these." 

As  they  hurried  through  the  streets,  Norman 
began  to  study  with  increasing  intensity  the  phe- 
nomena presented  in  the  development  of  Bar- 
bara's character.  The  more  he  saw  of  her,  the 
more  he  realized  the  lofty  ideals  of  her  life,  the  more 
puerile  and   contemptible  his  own   past  seemed. 

At  the  jail  they  found  a  boy  who  had  been  con- 
victed of  stealing  and  sentenced  to  the  peniten- 
tiary. His  old  mother  was  ill.  Barbara  bore  her 
last  message  of  love. 


AMONG  THE  SHADOWS  43 

They  stopped  at  the  poorhouse  to  see  a 
curious  old  pauper  who  had  become  a  regular 
attendant  on  the  Socialists'  meetings.  He  was 
called  **  Methodist  John,"  because  he  was  for- 
ever shouting  "Glory,  Hallelujah!"  and  inter- 
rupting the  speakers.  Barbara  was  the  bearer 
of  a  painful  message  to  John.  Wolf  had  in- 
structed her  to  keep  him  out  of  the  meetings. 
She  had  decided  to  try  a  gentler  way  —  to  warn 
him  against  yelling  "Glory"  again  under  penalty 
of  being  deprived  of  a  dish  of  soup  of  which  he 
was  particularly  fond.  The  Socialist  Club  served 
this  simple,  wholesome  meal  to  all  who  asked  for 
it  after  its  weekly  meetings. 

John  promised  Barbara  faithfully  to  stop 
shouting. 

"Remember,  John,"  she  warned  him  finally, 
"shout  —  no  soup!     No  shout  —  soup!" 

"I  understand.  Miss  Barbara,"  he  answered, 
solemnly. 

"You  see,  sir,"  he  said,  apologetically,  turning 
to  Norman,  "I  get  along  all  right  till  she  begins 
ter  speak,  and  when  I  hears  her  soft,  sweet  voice 
it  seems  ter  run  all  down  my  back  in  little  ticklin* 
waves  clean  down  ter  my  toes,  an'  I  holler  'Glory* 
before  I  can  stop  it!" 

Norman  laughed. 

"I  understand,  old  man." 


44  COMRADES 

"You  feel  that  way  yerself,  don't  ye,  now, 
when  she  looks  down  into  yer  soul  with  them  big, 
soft  eyes  o'  hern,  an'  her  voice  comes  a-stealin' 
inter  yer  heart  like  the  music  of  the  angels " 

Barbara's  face  lighted,  and  a  slight  blush 
suffused  her  cheeks  as  she  caught  the  look  of 
admiring  assent  in  Norman's  expression. 

"That  will  do,  John,"  she  said,  firmly.  "Mr. 
Wolf  was  very  angry  with  you  yesterday." 

"I  '11  remember.  Miss  Barbara,"  he  repeated. 
"And  God  bless  your  dear  heart  fer  comin'  by 
ter  tell  me. " 

"I  suppose  he  has  no  people  living  who  are 
interested  in  him.f*"  Norman  asked,  as  they 
turned  toward  the  Socialist  hall. 

"No.  He  came  from  a  big  mill  town  in  the 
East.  His  children  all  died  before  they  were 
grown,  and  he  landed  here  with  his  wife  ten  years 
ago.  When  she  died,  he  was  sent  to  the  poor- 
house.  He  hasn't  much  mind,  but  there 's 
enough  left  to  burst  into  flame  at  the  memory  of 
his  children  being  slowly  ground  to  death  by  the 
wheels  of  those  mills.  I  've  seen  his  dead  soul 
start  to  life  more  than  once  as  I  've  looked  into 
his  face  from  our  platform.  What  an  awful 
thing  to  see  dead  men  walking  about!" 

"Yes.    People  who  are  dead  and  don't  know  it. 
I  never  thought  of  it  before.  "   Norman  exclaimed. 


AMONG  THE  SHADOWS  45 

They  stopped  in  front  of  a  house  with  a  scarlet 
light  in  the  hall,  which  threw  its  rays  through  a 
red-glass  transom  over  a  door  of  coloured  leaded 
glass.  The  shadows  of  evening  had  begun  to 
fall,  and  for  the  first  time  the  girl  showed  a  sign 
of  hesitation  and  embarrassment. 

"I  hate  to  ask  you  to  go  in  here  with  me,  and 
I  'd  hate  worse  to  have  you  see  me  go  alone.  Yet 
I  have  to  do  it.     My  work  leads  me." 

"  I  'm  going  with  you,  whether  you  ask  it  or 
not,"  he  firmly  replied. 

"Then  words  are  useless,"  she  said,  simply,  as 
she  rang  the  bell. 

A  Negro  maid  opened  the  door,  and  smiled  a 
look  of  recognition.  "She  ain't  no  better,  miss. 
She  's  been  crying  for  you  all  day." 

Barbara  led  the  way  up  two  flights  of  stairs  to 
a  small  room  in  the  rear,  and  entered  without 
knocking.  With  a  bound  she  was  beside  the 
bed  on  which  lay  a  slender  girl  of  nineteen.  A 
mass  of  golden  blond  hair  was  piled  in  confu- 
sion on  the  pillow,  and  a  pair  of  big,  childish- 
looking  blue  eyes  blinked  at  her  through  her  tears. 

"Oh!  you  've  come  at  last!  I  'm  so  glad.  It 
makes  me  strong  to  see  you.  Your  face  shines  so, 
Barbara!  They  say  I  can't  live,  but  it 's  not  so. 
I  shall  live!  I  'm  feeling  better  every  day.  It  's 
nonsense.     The  doctors  have  n't  got  any  sense. 


46  COMRADES 

I  wish  you  'd  get  me  one  that  knows  something. 
Won't  you,  dear  ?" 

"  My  friend,  Mr.  Worth,  who  has  called  with  me, 
has  kindly  agreed  to  send  you  another  doctor,  little 
sister  —  that  's  why  I  brought  him  to  see  you." 

Norman  extended  his  hand,  and  grasped  the 
thin,  cold  one  the  girl  extended.  He  felt  the  chill 
of  death  in  its  icy  touch  as  he  stammered: 

*'I  '11  send  him  right  away." 

"Thank  you,"  the  girl  replied,  as  a  smile  flitted 
about  her  weak  mouth.  She  turned  to  Barbara 
with  a  look  of  infinite  tenderness. 

"  I  knew  you  'd  come,  and  I  knew  you  'd  save 
me.  You  're  my  angel!  When  I  dream  at  night, 
you  're  always  hovering  over  me." 

"  I  '11  come  again  to-morrow,  dearie,  when  the 
new  doctor  has  seen  you,"  Barbara  answered,  as 
she  pressed  her  hand  good-bye. 

When  they  reached  the  street,  Norman  asked: 

"You  knew  her  before  she  fell  into  evil  ways  ?" 

"Yes,"  Barbara  answered,  with  feeling.  "She 
was  just  a  little  child  of  joy  and  sunlight.  She 
could  n't  endure  the  darkness.  She  loved  flowers 
and  music,  beauty  and  love.  She  hated  drudgery 
and  poverty.  She  tried  to  work,  and  gave  up  in 
despair.  A  man  came  into  her  life  at  a  critical 
moment  and  she  broke  with  the  world.  She  's 
been  sending  all  the  money  she  could  make  the 


AMONG  THE  SHADOWS  47 

past  two  years  to  her  mother  and  four  little  kids. 
Her  father  was  killed  at  work  in  a  mine  for  a  great 
corporation." 

"She  can't  live,  can  she?"  Norman  asked. 

"Of  course  not.  I  only  did  this  to  humour  her. 
She  has  developed  acute  consumption  —  she  may 
not  live  a  month." 

Barbara  paused. 

"  I  must  leave  you  now  —  I  'm  very  tired,  and  I 
must  sleep  a  while  before  I  attend  the  meeting 
to-night.  It  has  been  a  great  strain  on  me  to-day, 
this  trip  with  you.  How  do  you  like  our  boasted 
civilization  ?  Do  you  think  it  perfect  ?  Are  you 
satisfied  with  a  system  which  drives  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  such  girls  into  a  life  of  shame  ?  Are 
you  content  with  a  system  which  produces  three 
million  paupers  in  a  land  flowing  with  milk  and 
honey  ^  Do  you  like  a  system  which  drives 
thousands  to  the  madness  of  drink  and  suicide 
every  year  r " 

"And  to  think,"  responded  Norman,  dreamily, 
"that  for  the  past  two  years  of  my  manhood  I  've 
been  writing  verses  and  playing  football !  Great 
God!" 

"Then  from  to-day  we  are  comrades  in  the  cause 
of  humanity?"  she  asked  tenderly,  extending  her 
hand.     His  own  clasped  hers  with  firm  grasp. 

"Comrades!" 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  ISLAND  OF  VENTURA 

NORMAN  had  never  been  a  boy  to  do  things 
by  halves.  In  college,  when  he  went  in  for 
football,  he  made  it  the  one  supreme  end  of  life  — 
and  won.  He  incidentally  managed  to  pull 
through  a  course  in  mining  engineering.  He 
knew  mining  by  instinct  and  inheritance  from  his 
father.     It  came  easy. 

When  he  had  a  three  months'  vacation  from 
football  he  took  up  the  modelling  of  a  dredge  for 
mining  gold  from  the  sands  of  the  beaches.  The 
thing  had  never  been  perfected,  but  after  three 
months'  experiment  and  study  he  was  just  on  the 
point  of  making  the  castings  for  the  machinery 
when  the  football  season  opened  and  he  dropped 
such  trifling  matters  for  the  more  serious  work  of 
training  his  men  for  a  successful  season.  He  won 
the  championship  and  forgot  the  dredge. 

Into  the  new  movement  of  Socialism  he  naturally 
threw  his  whole  personality  without  reservation. 
Its  daring  programme  thrilled  him.  The  audacity 
of  its  leaders  and  their  refusal  to  discuss  anything 
less  than  the  salvation  of  man  appealed  to  every 

48 


THE  ISLAND  OF  VENTURA  49 

instinct  of  his  nature.  He  devoured  every  book 
on  the  subject  he  could  find,  and  in  his  new- 
found enthusiasm  for  humanity  accepted  as  the 
inspired  voice  of  God  their  wildest  visions  of 
social  regeneration. 

In  his  work  of  charity  and  organization  with 
Barbara  he  found  everything  to  confirm  and 
nothing  to  shake  his  faith  in  these  theories.  When 
once  he  caught  the  idea  that  all  the  ills  of  modern 
civilization  were  due  directly  to  the  fiendish  system 
of  *' capitalism"  and  its  "iron  law  of  wages," 
it  was  the  key  which  unlocked  every  mystery  of 
Pain  and  every  tragedy  of  the  Soul.  All  sin  and 
crime  and  shame  and  suffering  became  the  inci- 
dents of  a  social  system  whose  movements  were  as 
inexorable  as  Fate,  as  merciless  as  Death.  There 
was  but  one  thing  worth  talking  about,  and  that 
was  how  to  destroy  modern  society,  root  and 
branch,  and  do  it  quickly,  thoroughly  and  without 
compromise. 

The  same  daring  enthusiasm  and  capacity  for 
leadership  w^hich  made  him  the  captain  of  his 
football  team  brought  him  at  once  to  the  front 
as  a  Socialist  leader.  He  would  have  gained  this 
leadership  had  he  been  the  poorest  man  among 
them.     It  was  a  gift  as  his  birthright. 

But,  added  to  this  capacity  for  daring  and 
successful  action,  was  his  wealth  and  social  prestige. 


50  COMRADES 

He  had  cast  his  lot  with  a  class  whose  avowed 
purpose  was  to  destroy  all  social  distinctions, 
to  level  all  wealth  to  a  common  standard. 
And  for  this  reason  in  particular  he  was  con- 
spicuous and  heroic  in  the  eyes  of  his  Socialist 
comrades. 

He  found  soon  after  his  entrance  into  their 
active  councils  that  the  woman  known  to  the 
world  as  "The  Scarlet  Nun,"  to  her  associates  as 
"Sister  Catherine,"  was  the  inspiring  brain  of  their 
movement  in  the  West.  This  remarkable  woman 
interested  him  deeply  from  their  first  hour's  talk. 
Born  in  Poland  and  educated  in  Germany,  she 
spoke  fluently  the  Russian,  German,  French,  and 
English  languages.  She  had  led  two  great  strikes 
of  women  workers  in  New  York  and  had  been 
arrested,  convicted,  and  sentenced  twice  to  the 
penitentiary  for  exciting  riots.  To  her  associates 
she  had  always  remained  a  saint  and  a  martyr 
for  their  cause. 

She  had  been  married  before  her  association  with 
Wolf  had  begun,  ten  years  ago.  Her  first  husband 
had  been  divorced,  and  her  marriage  to  Wolf  had 
been  merely  "announced"  at  a  Socialist  meeting. 
And  yet  the  young  millionaire  had  never 
questioned  the  sincerity  of  their  devotion  or  the 
apparent  happiness  of  their  union.  He  was 
amazed  at  her  learning,  her  grasp  of  affairs,  the 


THE  ISLAND  OF  VENTURA  51 

simplicity  and  refinement  of  her  manners,  and  the 
charm  of  her  conversation. 

Wolf  he  found  to  be  a  man  of  wide  reading 
and  deep  convictions.  As  he  came  in  daily 
contact  with  these  two  powerful  personalities, 
and  watched  the  singular  zeal  with  which  they 
devoted  themselves  to  their  self-appointed  task 
of  destroying  modern  society,  he  could  not 
divest  himself  of  the  impression  that  they 
belonged  to  a  religious  order  and  were  leading 
a  crusade,  as  the  monks  of  the  Middle  Ages 
led  men  and  women  to  die  to  rescue  the 
tomb  of  Christ  from  the  desecration  of  Turk 
and  Saracen. 

The  woman  in  particular  gave  him  this  impres- 
sion of  religious  fanaticism.  The  apparent  sim- 
plicity and  austerity  of  her  life,  the  tireless  zeal 
with  which  she  planned  and  worked  for  the  spread 
of  the  gospel  of  Socialism,  to  his  mind  gave  the 
lie  emphatically  to  all  the  stories  he  had  read  of 
her  affairs  with  men. 

The  only  moments  of  suspicion  about  her 
which  ever  clouded  his  mind  came  with  the  ac- 
cidental discovery  that  she  had  skilfully  man- 
aged to  throw  him  and  Barbara  together  for  a 
day.  It  seemed  just  a  little  like  the  old  habit 
of  a  scheming  mamma  angling  for  the  rich  young 
man,   and    deliberately  using   the   beauty  of  her 


52  COMRADES 

daughter  as  the  bait  with  which  to  land  him  in 
the  household. 

Yet,  when  he  found  himself  with  Barbara  he  had 
always  dismissed  the  thought  as  absurd.  What- 
ever might  be  the  dimly  formed  design  in  the  back 
of  the  older  woman's  fancy,  her  brilliant  protege 
gave  no  sign  of  being  her  accomplice. 

Norman  had  found  Barbara  a  charming  but 
baffling  enigma.  She  walked  through  a  world  of 
sin  and  shame,  filth  and  mire,  with  never  a  speck 
on  the  white  of  her  soul  or  body.  She  spoke  in 
the  simplest  and  most  direct  way  of  things  about 
which  the  ordinary  girl  in  society  would  never  dare 
to  utter  a  word,  and  yet  he  took  it  as  a  matter  of 
course.  He  grew  to  feel  that  she  was  a  mysterious 
messenger  from  the  spirit  world.  Yet  when  he 
took  her  arm  and  felt  its  warm  round  lines  soft  and 
thrilling  against  his  own,  or  the  warmth  of  her  lithe 
body  pressing  close  to  his  side  in  some  lonely  or 
dangerous  spot  on  their  rounds  of  work,  he  was 
brought  up  sharply  against  the  fact  that  she  was 
both  flesh  and  spirit.  Yet  the  moment  he  tried 
to  draw  nearer  to  her  inner  thoughts,  he  found  her 
a  skilful  little  fencer,  an  adept  in  all  the  arts  of 
the  most  delicate  and  subtle  coquetry. 

He  grew  at  last,  however,  to  know,  with  unerring 
masculine  instinct,  that  with  all  her  brave  and 
frank  talk  about  her  "fallen"  sisters,  she  had  n't 


THE  ISLAND  OF  VENTURA  53 

an  idea  of  what  their  fall  really  meant.  She  was 
as  innocent  as  a  child,  and  when  at  last  she  caught 
the  young  athlete  smiling  at  one  of  her  apparently 
frank  and  learned  discussions  of  the  modern  degra- 
dation of  woman,  she  blushed  and  became  silent. 
Whereat  he  laughed,  and  she  became  so  angry  they 
parted   in   silence. 

Baffled  in  his  efforts  to  approach  Barbara's  heart, 
he  threw  himself  with  zeal  into  the  Cause.  When 
two  months  had  been  spent  in  mastering  the  details 
of  the  Socialist  programme,  in  studying  its  history 
and  the  condition  of  its  movement,  he  called  a 
meeting  of  the  council  of  the  Socialist  Club,  and 
fairly  took  away  the  breath  of  the  Wolfs  and  Bar- 
bara by  the  magnitude  and  audacity  of  a  scheme 
which  he  proposed  to  launch  immediately. 

He  had  secured,  without  consulting  any  of  his 
associates,  an  option  on  a  rich,  beautiful,  and  fertile 
island  off  the  coast  of  Southern  California.  It  was 
owned  by  a  corporation  which  had  invested  more 
than  a  million  dollars  in  its  improvement.  The 
enterprise  had  failed  for  two  reasons  —  the  money 
had  been  expended  recklessly  in  the  days  of  the 
famous  land  boom,  and  it  had  been  found  impossi- 
ble to  induce  labourers  to  isolate  themselves  on  this 
lonely  spot,  sixty  miles  from  the  coast  of  Santa 
Barbara,  with  no  means  of  regular  connection  with 
the  outside  world. 


54  COMRADES 

His  eyes  flashing  with  enthusiasm  and  his  voice 
ringing  with  conviction,  Norman  closed  his  descrip- 
tion of  the  island  of  Ventura  with  a  demand  for  its 
immediate  purchase  by  the  Socialists. 

*'It  can  be  bought,"  he  declared  impetuously, 
"for  ^200,000.  A  million  dollars'  worth  of 
improvements  are  already  there.  I  propose  that 
we  immediately  raise  ^500,000,  buy  this  island, 
establish  a  steamship  line,  plant  a  colony  of  ten 
thousand  Socialists,  found  the  Brotherhood  of 
Man,  build  a  model  city,  and  create  a  vast  fund  for 
the  propaganda  of  our  faith." 

Barbara's  brown  eyes  danced  with  excitement, 
her  cheeks  flushed,  while  her  little  bamls  clapped 
approval. 

"Good!  Good!  It's  great!  It's  beautiful! 
We  must  do  it!"  she  cried. 

Wolf  grimly  shook  his  head. 

*'The  idea  has  failed  a  hundred  times.  We 
must  conquer  the  world  by  political  action  —  we 
have  the  weapon  in  our  hand  —  manhood  suffrage. 
All  colonies  fail  sooner  or  later.  They  are  cor- 
rupted from  outside " 

"Just  so!"  Norman  interrupted.  "But  this 
one  you  can't  reach  from  the  outside.  We  will 
own  the  only  means  of  communication.  We  will 
inherit  all  the  advantages  of  modern  civilization 
with   none   of  its   drawbacks.     We   can   demon- 


THE  ISLAND  OF  VENTURA  55 

strate  the  truths  we  hold  and  from  our  impreg- 
nable Gibraltar  send  out  our  missionaries  to  con- 
quer the  world.  We  will  not  merely  dream  dreams 
and  see  visions;  we  will  make  history.  We  will 
prove  the  God  that  's  in  man  and  establish  the 
fact  of  his  universal  brotherhood." 

*'It's  a  wonderful  idea,  comrade!"  Catherine 
exclaimed,  with  enthusiasm.  "  I  congratulate  you! 
We  will  accept  your  plan,  and  I  move  that  we 
appoint  you  our  agent  vested  with  full  power  to 
collect  this  fund  from  the  enemy!" 

The  motion  was  put  and  carried  unanimously, 
even  Wolf  voting  for  it. 

Barbara  sprang  to  Norman's  side,  and  grasped 
his  hand: 

"Our  feud  is  over!  I  forgive  you  for  laughing 
at  me.  You  are  a  born  leader.  You  've  won  your 
spurs  to-night.     You  will  raise  this  money?" 

"As  sure  as  I  'm  living!"  was  the  firm  reply. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE   RED  FLAG 

NORMAN  lost  no  time  in  springing  his  scheme 
for  the  estabHshment  of  the  Socialist  colony 
and  headquarters  for  the  propaganda  of  the  new 
social  religion  on  the  island  of  Ventura.  The 
season  he  had  spent  as  a  reporter  gave  him  the 
key  to  the  proper  launching  of  a  press  story 
which  created  a  profound  sensation.  It  appeared 
simultaneously  in  the  Sunday  editions  of  all  the 
leading  dailies  of  the  Pacific  coast,  and  in  forty- 
eight  hours  his  mail  had  grown  to  such  propor- 
tions that  he  required  two  secretaries  to  assist 
him  in  answering  it. 

He  called  for  a  thousand  volunteers  to  join  the 
advance-guard  of  the  coming  Brotherhood  of  Man, 
each  contributing  a  thousand  dollars.  He  an- 
nounced a  mass  meeting  and  picnic  for  the  Fourth 
of  July,  to  be  held  on  the  big  lawn  of  the  Worth 
country  house  on  the  outskirts  of  Berkeley. 

Colonel  Worth  had  readily  given  his  consent  to 
the  use  of  the  lawn.  He  had  not  tried  in  any  way 
to  interfere  with  his  son's  association  with  the 
Socialists.     He  felt  sure  that  in  time  he  would  tire 

s6 


THE  RED  FLAG  57 

of  the  fad,  as  he  had  of  football,  and  in  a  fatherly 
way  he  began  to  admire  the  dash  and  audacity 
of  the  boy's  plans. 

On  the  morning  of  the  picnic,  when  Elena 
expressed  her  fears  of  the  outcome,  the  Colonel 
laughed. 

"  Don't  worry,  Elena.  He  '11  come  to  his  senses. 
It 's  like  a  fever.  It  must  run  its  course.  I  'm 
rather  proud  of  the  extravagance  of  his  foolishness. 
A  boy  who  can  forget  his  games  and  give  his  life 
to  destroy  the  foundations  of  human  society  and 
try  to  rebuild  a  new  w^orld  on  its  ruins  —  well, 
there  's  good  stuff  in  him." 

"But  if  he  does  something  rash  .^  "  Elena 
persisted. 

"  He  won't.  With  all  his  extravagance  and 
enthusiasm  he  's  not  a  fool.  I,  too,  saw  visions 
like  that  once." 

**You,  Guardie  ?" 

"Yes,  when  I  was  very,  very  young  —  a  mere 
boy  of  thirteen — I  joined  acolony  of  Communists." 

"I  wish  I  could  have  seen  you  at  thirteen," 
Elena  cried,  with  a  joyous  laugh. 

The  laugh  died  suddenly  and  a  frown  overspread 
her  face  as  Normian  appeared. 

"  I  want  you  and  Elena  to  hear  our  orator  to-day, 
Governor,"  Norman  said,  with  enthusiasm.  "We 
are  going  to  make  it  a  great  day." 


58  COMRADES 

"It's  already  great,  my  boy  —  I've  just  got 
the  news. " 

"What  news?" 

The  Colonel  drew  a  telegram  from  his  pocket. 

"A  message  from  Washington.  Sampson  and 
Schley  have  annihilated  the  Spanish  fleet. 
Admiral  Cervera  is  a  prisoner  on  board  the  flag- 
ship, and  the  army  is  rapidly  closing  in  on  the 
doomed  city  of  Santiago." 

He  handed  the  telegram,  to  Norman,who  glanced 
at  it  in  silence  and  returned  it  to  his  father. 

"Come  to  our  meeting  on  the  lawn  at  noon. 
Governor.    We  've  bigger  news  than  that  for  you." 

"Bis^^er  news?"  the  older  man  asked  with  a 
quizzical  look. 

"Yes.  A  message  announcing  the  dawn  of  a 
day  when  every  gun  on  earth  shall  be  broken  to 
pieces  and  melted  into  ploughshares." 

The  Colonel  looked  at  Norman  a  moment, 
smiled,  and  slowly  said: 

"  I  love  the  young  —  because  I  live  myself  over 
again  in  them. " 

"Then  you  '11  join  us  to-day  ?" 

"Thanks — no  —  Elena  and  I  are  going  to 
shoot  firecrackers  —  but  we  won't  disturb  your 
crowd.     Let  them  speak  to  their  hearts'  content." 

The  Colonel  turned  with  Elena,  and  entered  the 
house,  which  crowned    an   eminence   overlooking 


THE  RED  FLAG  59 

the  distant  bay  and  city,  while  Norman  hurried 
down  the  green  sloping  lawn  to  finish  the  decora- 
tions of  the  speakers'  stand. 

The  crowd  had  already  begun  to  pour  in  from 
Oakland  and  San  Francisco,  and  more  than  a 
hundred  delegates  from  Socialist  locals  in  other 
cities  were  expected. 

On  a  little  headland  which  jutted  out  from  the 
long  sloping  mountain  side  on  which  the  lawn  was 
laid  out.  Colonel  Worth  had  erected  a  tall  steel 
flag-pole.  The  big  flag  which  flew  from  its  peak 
could  be  seen  by  every  ship  that  entered  or  left  the 
bay  and  for  miles  onshore  in  almost  every  direction. 

Around  this  flag-pole  Norman  had  built  the 
speakers'  platform,  with  every  inch  of  its  boards 
covered  with  the  deep-red  bunting  symbolic  of  the 
Socialist  cause.  Behind  the  stand  toward  the 
mountains  rose  a  smooth  grass-carpeted  hillside 
in  semi-circular  form,  making  a  natural  amphi- 
theatre on  which  five  thousand  people  might  sit  in 
tiers  one  above  the  other  and  distinctly  hear  every 
word  uttered  on  the  platform. 

By  noon  every  inch  of  this  space  was  packed  with 
a  dense  crowd  of  Socialists,  their  friends,  and  the 
curious  who  had  come,  drawn  by  the  sensational 
announcement  of  the  launching  of  the  Socialist 
colony  on  the  island  of  Ventura. 

In   the   front    row,   packed   close   against    the 


6o  COMRADES 

platform,  were  a  number  of  famous  people  — 
conspicuous  among  whom  was  an  author  whose 
impassioned  stories  of  the  coming  social  upheaval 
had  resulted  in  fame  for  himself  and  a  divorce-suit 
by  his  first  wife.  His  new  wife,  the  "affinity" 
who  caused  the  disturbance,  sat  by  his  side. 

On  his  left  sat  a  solemn  looking  poet  with  bushy, 
unkempt  hair.  He  had  deliberately  chosen  the 
title  "The  Bard  of  Ramcat."  The  name  Ramcat 
had  been  long  applied  to  a  shabby  section  of  the 
outskirts  of  San  Francisco.  Here  the  poet  had 
chosen  to  dwell  and  sing  of  social  horrors  which 
existed  only  in  his  fertile  imagination. 

He  had  won  wide  fame,  however,  as  the  supreme 
exponent  of  the  "affinity"  theory  which  has  always 
been  epidemic  among  thoughtful  Socialists.  He 
coolly  informed  his  wife  that  he  had  discovered  his 
true  "affinity"  in  a  woman  he  had  installed  as  her 
guest.  The  two  affinities  accompanied  the  wife 
and  her  child  to  a  steamer  for  Europe  with  instruc- 
tions to  obtain  a  divorce. 

The  poet  married  the  affinity,  and  on  the  birth 
of  a  new  son  and  heir  acquired  the  habit  of  beat- 
ing her  as  a  form  of  relaxation  from  the  strain  of 
work.  Considerable  trouble  followed,  and  he 
spent  a  portion  of  his  time  in  jail.  He  had  once 
gone  barefooted  and  bareheaded.  But  since  his 
"affinity"   marriage  he  had  been  compelled  for 


THE  RED  FLAG  6i 

reasons  best  known  to  himself  to  resume  shoe- 
leather  and  to  buy  a  hat.  Nevertheless  he  was  still 
a  striking-looking  figure,  seated  beside  his  new  wife 
whose  strong,  intellectual  face  won  the  sympathy 
of  all  who  saw  her. 

Just  behind  him  sat  an  ex-clergyman  with  whom 
a  rich  young  woman  in  his  congregation  had  fallen 
in  love.  To  avoid  trouble,  the  woman  of  wealth 
got  him  to  leave  the  ministry,  and  bought  him  from 
his  wife  for  a  good  round  sum.  He  became  an 
apostle  of  the  new  gospel  of  Socialism,  and  secured 
a  position  as  a  professor  of  economics.  When 
finally  he  lost  this  position  by  his  vagaries,  his 
wife  hired  a  hall  and  set  him  up  in  business  as  an 
inspired  leader  of  new  thought  emancipated  from 
the  chains  of  capitalistic  tyranny. 

Beside  the  distinguished  ex-clergyman  Social- 
istic apostle  sat  Professor  Otto  Schmitt,  a  famous 
teacher  of  economics  at  a  Western  university. 
His  supreme  passion  was  hatred  of  women.  His 
one  big  book  was  written  to  prove  that  woman 
has  no  soul,  that  she  is  the  mere  matter  on  which 
man  by  his  will  acts,  that  she  is  not  immoral, 
but  merely  non-moral,  having  never  possessed 
even  the  rudiments  of  a  moral  nature.  Schmitt 
had,  therefore,  maintained  that  the  entrance  of 
women  into  competition  in  the  ecomonic  world 
presaged    the    downfall    of   man    and   the    utter 


62  COMRADES 

extinction  of  humanity.  For  this  reason  he  had 
joined  the  Socialists. 

Not  three  feet  away  from  him  sat  a  thoughtful, 
elderly,  short-haired  woman  who  had  written  a 
book  on  the  evolution  of  woman  to  prove  that 
woman  alone  is  the  original  unit  of  creation,  man 
a  superfluous  and  temporary  addition,  merely 
the  missing  link  between  woman  and  the  monkey, 
and  in  the  process  of  human  development  the 
male  biped  v/ould  be  eliminated.  She  demanded 
equal  rights  with  man,  and  more  besides,  and  she, 
too,  had  joined  the  Socialists. 

Yet  through  all  these  ludicrous  incongruities 
there  ran  the  single  scarlet  thread  of  social  dis- 
content which  made  them  one.  In  every  soul 
rang  the  stirring  cry: 

"Down  with  civilization!  Up  with  the  Red 
Flag!" 

A  more  remarkable  group  of  men  and  women 
could  scarcely  be  gathered  together  on  the  face 
of  the  earth.  But  the  one  mark  they  all  bore, 
distinctly  cut  deep  in  the  lines  of  every  face  on 
which  character  had  set  its  seal,  and  written 
large  in  the  restless,  nervous  personality  of  the 
young  —  they  all  had  a  grievance,  and  though 
their  troubles  might  come  from  as  many  dif- 
ferent causes  as  there  were  men  and  wom.en 
present,  they  united  in  one  thought: 


THE  RED  FLAG  63 

"Modern  civilization  must  be  destroyed!" 

Every  heart  beat  with  this  fiery  resolution,  and 
every  incongruity  melted  and  faded  into  insig- 
nificance before  this  consuming  beHef. 

And  they  had  gone  about  this  purpose  with  a 
deadly  earnestness  which  meant  business.  Their 
political  campaigns  were  merely  moments  when 
the  captain  of  their  ship  cast  the  lead-line  to 
feel  the  bottom  and  find  his  position  with  cer- 
tainty before  signalling  full  speed  ahead. 

They  worked  all  the  year  round  and  every  day  in 
every  year,  from  one  election  to  the  next.  They 
were  mastering  the  tricks  of  the  demagogue  in 
their  appeal  to  the  masses,  and  they  kept  everlast- 
ingly at  it.  No  man  is  too  high,  no  man  too  lov/, 
for  them  to  reach  for  him.  They  could  n't  be 
beaten  for  they  had  accepted  defeat  before 
they  began  to  fight,  and  began  the  next  fight 
before  they  got  up  from  the  ground  where  they 
had  been  knocked  down.  They  had  become  the 
one  element  in  American  politics  to  which  it  was 
utterly  useless  to  direct  any  argument  of  expe- 
diency. 

The  Fourth  of  July,  the  Nation's  birthday, 
they  were  now  using  to  demand  its  extinction. 
The  fact  that  our  army  and  navy  had  just  torn 
the  flag  of  Spain  from  its  last  masthead  in  the 
Western  hemisphere  and  startled  the  old  world 


64  COMRADES 

with  our  sudden  advent  among  the  great  powers 
of  the  earth,  stirred  in  their  hearts  no  emotion 
save  that  of  contempt.  While  the  souls  of  mil- 
lions beat  with  patriotic  pride,  they  had  met  to 
uproot  the  very  ideas  from  whose  soil  patriotism 
^sprang  into  life. 

There  was  no  question  as  to  who  should  be  the 
oratrr  of  the  day.  The  fame  of  Barbara  Bozenta 
had  become  national  from  the  day  of  her  first 
speech  in  San  Francisco.  Her  beauty  and  elo- 
quence were  sufficient  to  pack  any  hall  at 
twenty-four  hours'  n"»tice. 

Her  delicate  face  was  radiant  to-day  with 
unusual  elation.  She  walked  w^ith  a  quick,  ner- 
vous energy  that  seemed  to  lift  her  whole  body 
into  the  air.  As  she  ascended  the  platform  and 
bowed  to  the  tumult  of  applause,  she  trembled 
from  head  to  foot  with  intensest  excitement.  As 
she  stood  looking  over  the  inspiring  scene  for  a 
moment,  her  sensitive  nostrils  dilated,  her  brown 
eyes  flashed,  and  her  heart  beat  with  a  great 
throb  of  personal  pride.  She  had  never  before 
faced  such  an  immense  throng  of  excited  men 
and  women,  and  the  secret  consciousness  that 
she  had  within  her  soul  the  message  which  would 
sweep  their  heartstrings  as  she  willed,  lifted  her 
into  the  clouds. 

She  felt  for  the  moment  that  the  whole  scene 


THE  RED  FLAG  6$ 

was  a  tribute  to  her  power.  The  magnificent 
house  whose  windows  flashed  in  the  sunHght,  the 
vast  lawn  carpeted  with  green  and  set  in  dazzling 
flowers,  the  emerald  waters  of  the  bay,  and  the 
spires  and  domes  of  the  distant  city  set  on  its 
proud  hills  beyond  —  all  were  hers  to-day!  Her 
voice  had  called  to  their  standard  the  young 
millionaire  whose  name  was  now  on  every  lip. 
Her  voice  had  inspired  his  dream  of  the  experi- 
ment to  be  made  on  the  island  of  Ventura  which 
had  called  this  host  together.  For  one  big 
moment  she  felt  the  thrill  of  conscious  crea- 
tive genius,  the  pain,  the  joy,  the  glory  of  a 
positive  achievement. 

Her  eyes  suddenly  filled  with  tears,  and  she 
sank  to  her  seat  with  a  suppressed  sob. 

When  at  last  she  rose  to  speak,  her  whole  per- 
sonality was  a  quivering  battery  of  resistless 
emotion.  Her  voice,  low  and  pulsing  with  mag- 
netic waves  of  suppressed  feeling,  caught  and 
chained  the  attention  of  the  farthest  straggler  on 
the  edge  of  the  throng.  Instinctively  they  moved 
closer.     Resistlessly  she  drew  them. 

She  had  not  spoken  two  minutes  before 
she  was  sweeping  the  hearts  of  her  hearers. 
Men  and  women  who  had  come  to  laugh  or 
scoff,  as  well  as  the  young  and  thoughtless 
who    had     drifted    with     the     crowd,    were    all 


66  COMRADES 

alike  caught  in  the  spell  and  hung  breathless 
on  her  words. 

Every  trick  and  art  of  persuasive  speech  were 
hers  without  effort.  Scorn,  pathos,  humour, 
passion,  were  of  the  breath  she  breathed.  At 
times  her  eloquence  reached  the  highest  concep- 
tion of  its  might.  It  was  simple  thought  packed 
until  it  took  fire.  At  such  moments  scores  of 
men  leaped  to  their  feet  and  shouted.  Nothing 
disconcerted  her  or  changed  the  swift  current  of 
her  ideas.  She  was  a  master-musician  whose 
hands  swept  a  harp  of  a  thousand  strings  — 
every  string  a  throbbing  human  soul. 

What  matter  if  her  appeal  was  to  the  emotions 
and  not  to  the  intellect .''  Her  purpose  was  to 
persuade  her  hearers.  And  she  did  it.  Her 
courage,  her  beauty,  her  skill,  her  utter  sincerity, 
commanded  the  respect  of  the  strongest  man  who 
listened.  If  their  intellects  vs^ere  not  convinced, 
no  matter  —  she  carried  them  with  her  on  a 
storm  of  resistless  emotion. 

Suddenly  a  thing  happened  which  would  have 
destroyed  the  total  impression  of  the  average 
speech.  Old  Methodist  John,  her  pauper  pro- 
tege, had  Hstened  with  increasing  torture,  choking 
down  a  hundred  "Glorys"  as  they  leaped  from 
his  soul  until  at  last  he  could  endure  no  more. 
At  the  climax  of  one  of  her  impassioned  appeals 


THE  RED  FLAG  67 

the  old  man  leaped  to  his  feet,  rushed  in  front  of 
the  speakers'  stand  and  shouted  into  the  face  of 
the  chairman: 

"Look  here!  Look  here,  now,  Wolf!  Soup 
or  no  soup  —  Glory  hallelujah!" 

Barbara  alone  smiled.  The  crowd  took  up 
his  shout,  and  a  thousand  voices  made  the 
heavens  ring  with  its  wild  music. 

Norman  whispered  to  the  old  man,  who  sat 
down,  and  Barbara  swept  on  in  her  impetu- 
ous triumph  without  the  lapse  of  a  moment's 
power.  She  seized  the  instant's  hush  which  fol- 
lowed the  storm  of  cheering  to  fire  into  the  minds 
of  her  hearers  some  of  the  solid  shot  of  the  revo- 
lutionary programme. 

In  a  voice  which  swelled  to  the  clarion  note  of  a 
trumpet  she  cried: 

"The  earth  for  all  the  people!  This  is  our 
demand! 

'"The  machinery  of  all  production  and  distri- 
bution for  all  the  people!     This  is  our  demand! 

"The  collective  ownership  and  control  of  all 
industry!     This  is  our  demand! 

"The  elimination  of  rent,  interest,  and  profit! 
This  is  our  demand! 

"A  new  social  order,  a  higher  civilization,  a 
real  republic!     This  is  our  demand! 

"The  end  of  the  hell  called  war,   of  poverty 


68  COMRADES 

and  shame,  of  cruelty  and  crime,  the  birth  of 
freedom,  the  dawn  of  brotherhood,  the  beginning 
of  man!  These  are  our  demands!  This  is 
SociaHsm!  Is  this  an  idle  dream?  Have  you 
no  faith  in  your  fellow  man  ? 

"In  the  grim  prison  beyond  the  bay  I  found 
one  day  a  woman  convict  who  was  little  removed 
from  a  fiend.  I  got  permission  to  hang  a  beau- 
tiful picture  in  her  cell  —  a  picture  that  set  her 
soul  to  dreaming,  that  melted  her  at  last  to  tears, 
and  transformed  the  beast  within  her  to  a  gentle, 
loving,  beautiful,  human  character. 

"I  believe  in  man  because  he  alone  possesses 
this  power  to  look  through  the  window  of  the  soul 
into  the  infinite  and  eternal.  Here  the  world's 
real  battles  are  fought.  Here  the  world's  real 
work  is  done.  Here  cowards  run  and  the  brave  die. 
This  power  to  recreate  the  earth,  people  it  with 
beauty,  and  fill  it  with  harmony  is  your  birthright. 

"Lo,  the  day  of  humanity  dawns! 

"I  preach  class  consciousness  that  we  may 
destroy  all  classes.  Class  must  perish  and  Man 
be  glorified.  Man,  whose  inhumanity  to  his 
fellow  man  has  filled  the  ages  with  ashes  and 
tears,  is  coming  forth  at  last  purified  by  suff'ering, 
and  we  shall  see  his  tears  turned  to  smiles  upon 
the  faces  of  a  nobler  race. 

"Why  should  we  rejoice  to-day  in  the  death  of 


THE  RED  FLAG  69 

our  fellow  man  ?  Nations  are  but  the  dung-heaps 
out  of  which  the  fair  flower  of  a  world-democracy 
is  slowly  growing.  Truth  is  not  national,  it  is 
infinite.  France  may  light  Germany  because  two 
titled  fools  insult  each  other,  but  there  can  be  no 
war  between  the  laboratories  of  Pasteur  and  of 
Koch.  Their  work  is  the  common  heritage  of 
humanity.  Who  asks  if  Humboldt  was  German  or 
English,  whether  Spinoza  was  Jew  or  Gentile, 
Darwin  English  or  French  ?  A  German  wrote 
*Faust,*  a  Frenchman  set  it  to  immortal  music,  and 
an  American  girl  sang  it  into  the  hearts  of  millions. 
Who  cares  to  know  nationalities  ?  The  great 
belong  to  the  democracy  of  the  world.  And  I 
swear  that  your  children  will  still  laugh  with  the 
soul  of  Cervantes  in  spite  of  the  Fourth  of  July, 
Santiago,  and  Manila! 

"  Why  should  you  fight  one  another  I  When 
called  to  war  by  your  rulers,  let  the  liberty-loving 
spirits  of  the  modern  world  say  to  their  masters: 

*'*Go  and  do  your  own  killing  —  you  who  have 
separated  us  from  our  brothers  and  made  the  earth 
a    slaughter-pen.' 

"If  you  are  court-martialed  and   shot  for  this 

act  of  heroism  remember: 

"  *  They  never  fail  who  die 

In  a  great  cause:     the  block  may  soak  their  gore: 
Their  heads  may  sodden  in  the  sun:     their  limbs 
Be  strung  to  city  gates  and  castle  walls — 


70  COMRADES 

But  still  their  spirit  walks  abroad.     Though  years 

Elapse  and  others  share  as  dark  a  doom, 

They  but  augment  the  deep  and  sweeping  thoughts 

Which  overpower  all  others,  and  conduct 

The  world  at  last  to  freedom !'  " 

A  shout  of  wild  applause  rent  the  air  as  the  last 
note  of  Byron's  immortal  song  fell  from  her  beauti- 
ful lips.  And  then,  in  a  low,  intense  voice,  she 
closed  her  speech  with  a  thrilling  appeal  for  human 
brotherhood.  To  Norman,  who  hung  on  her 
lips,  the  slight  girlish  figure  seemed  transformed 
before  their  eyes  into  a  radiant  messenger  of  the 
spirit.  And  when  the  sweet  womanly  tones  at 
last  broke  and  choked  into  deep-drawn  sobs,  his 
soul  and  body  seemed  no  longer  his  own.  As  her 
last  words  sank  into  his  heart:  "From  to-day  let 
each  of  us  swear  allegiance  to  but  one  flag,  the 
deep-red  emblem  of  human  blood,  God's  sign  of 
universal  brotherhood!"  Norman  leaped  to  his 
feet,  sprang  on  the  platform,  and  while  the  crowd 
swayed  in  a  frenzy  of  applause,  hauled  down  the 
Stars  and  Stripes  and  quickly  raised  the  big  red 
standard  of  Socialism  which  was  thrown  across 
the  speaker's  table. 

And  then  the  great  crowd  seemed  to  go  mad. 
Wave  after  wave  of  cheering  rose  and  fell,  rose  and 
fell,  in  apparently  unending  power.  Catherine 
threw  her  arms  around  Barbara  in  a  paroxysm 
of  emotion,  while  the  big  figure  of  Wolf  towered 


THE  RED  FLAG  71 

above  them  both,  shouting  and  gesturing  like  a 
madman.  Barbara  at  last  lifted  her  hand  and,  as 
the  storm  subsided,  began  the  Marseillaise  hymn. 

The  first  stirring  notes  had  just  swept  the 
audience  when  the  stalwart  figure  of  Colonel  Worth 
suddenly  appeared  on  the  platform,  his  face  a  blaze 
of  anger,  his  magnificent  figure  erect,  every  nerve 
and  muscle  drawn  to  the  highest  tension. 

He  stepped  to  the  edge  of  the  stand,  lifted  his 
head,  and  his  voice  rang  over  the  crowd  like  the 
sudden  boom  of  a  cannon: 

''Silence!" 

He  did  n't  repeat  the  word. 

The  singing  stopped,  and  every  eye  was  riveted 
on  the  group  that  stood  on  the  platform. 

The  Colonel  confronted  Wolf,  and  shot  his 
words  at  him  as  though  from  a  machine-gun. 

"Who  lowered  that  flag?" 

A  moment  of  silence  followed.  The  Colonel 
spoke  with  increasing  rapidity. 

"Who  lowered  that  flag  ?  The  man  who  did  it 
must  answer  to  me!" 

Some  one  behind  him  moved,  and  the  Colonel 
turned,  confronting  Norman. 

*'  I  did  it.  Governor,"  was  the  quiet  answer. 

"You  ?"  the  father  gasped. 

"Yes,"  said  the  even,  firm  voice. 

"Haul  that  red  rag  down  and  raise  the  flag 


72  COMRADES 

back  to  its  place!"      The  Colonel's  voice  was  low 
and  thick  with  rage. 

Elena  put  her  hand  on  his  arm  and  said  gently: 

"Guardie!" 

"Will  you  do  it?"  he  firmly  asked,  ignoring 
Elena,  and  holding  Norman  with  his  gaze. 

The  young  man  hesitated  an  instant,  met  his 
father's  look  with  a  deadly  straight  stare,  and 
slowly  replied: 

"I  will  not." 

A  smothered  cry  from  Barbara,  half  joy,  half 
pain,  was  the  only  sound  that  followed,  until  the 
Colonel  said: 

*'Then  I '11  do  it  for  you." 

Amid  a  dead  silence  he  hauled  down  the  red 
flag,  threw  it  on  the  floor,  boldly  stamped  on  it, 
made  fast  the  Stars  and  Stripes,  and  quickly  raised 
it  to  the  top  of  its  staff'.  He  turned  to  the  crowd, 
and  in  clear-cut, sharp  tones  of  command  shouted: 

"This  is  my  flag,  my  house,  my  lawn.  Get  off^ 
it!     And  do  it  quick!" 

As  the  crowd  hastened  away,  he  turned  to 
Norman: 

"You  and  I  must  come  to  an  understanding  at 
once,  young  man,"  he  said,  with  angry  emphasis. 

*'  I  '11  meet  you  in  the  library  in  thirty  minutes," 
was  Norman's  firm  reply  as  he  led  Barbara  from 
the  platform  and  joined  the  retreating  throng. 


"  IviFT  THE  FI.AG  Back  to  its  Place." 


CHAPTER  VII 

FATHER    AND     SON 

THE  Colonel  paced  the  floor  of  his  Hbrary  with 
increasing  anger  as  he  waited  the  return  of 
Norman.  Never  in  his  life  had  his  whole  being 
been  so  abandoned  to  incontrollable  rage.  He 
had  always  been  a  man  of  fiery  temper,  but  an  iron 
will  had  held  his  temper  in  control. 

His  most  intimate  business  associates  had  always 
found  him  suave,  persuasive,  and  genial  in  every 
hour  of  trial.  Never  once  had  they  heard  a  threat 
or  an  idle  boast  fall  from  his  lips.  He  had  the  rare 
faculty  of  beating  his  enemies  in  a  fight  in  which 
no  quarter  was  asked  or  given,  and  coming  out  of 
it  with  his  bitterest  foe  turned  into  a  friend.  This 
was  one  of  the  secrets  of  his  fortune  —  an  instinc- 
tive leadership  among  powerful  men. 

For  the  first  time  he  realized  that  he  had  chal- 
lenged the  one  man  in  all  his  personal  acquaint- 
ance about  whose  character  he  knew  noth- 
ing —  his  own  son.  For  the  first  time  he  realized 
that  they  were  strangers.  He  had  been  absorbed 
in  the  big  affairs  of  life.  He  had  taken  the  boy 
for  granted.     Since  the  death  of  his  mother  twelve 

73 


74  COMRADES 

years  ago,  Norman  had  spent  rr.ost  of  his  time 
at  school. 

The  Colonel  had  always  been  in  command.  His 
word  had  been  law  for  so  many  years,  it  brought 
him  up  with  a  disagreeable  start  to  find  that  the 
one  man  with  whom  his  life  was  bound,  and  in 
whom  his  hopes  centred,  could  dare  thus  to  defy 
and  flaunt  his  wishes.  It  was  the  most  disgusting, 
enraging  fact  he  had  ever  encountered.  The 
longer  he  confronted  the  situation  the  more  furious 
and  blind  his  anger  became. 

Elena  had  timidly  entered  the  room,  and  stood 
watching  him  gravely  before  she  spoke. 

"Has  he  returned  from  that  woman  yet?"  the 
Colonel  asked  with  sudden  energy. 

*'No,  and  I  hope  he  will  stay  all  day,"  she 
answered  slowly. 

"But  he  won't,"  the  father  snapped. 

"I  'm  sure  he  will  not,"  the  girl  sighed.  "I 
don't  like  you  to-day,  Guardie." 

"You,  too,  side  with  these  fanatics  then  ?'* 

"No.  I  hate  them  —  hate  everything  they  say 
and  do  and  stand  for.  I  loathe  the  very  sight  of 
them.     But  you  were  unfair  to  Norman." 

"Unfair.?     How?" 

"You  allowed  him  the  widest  liberty  to  do  as  he 
pleased,  think  as  he  pleased,  associate  with  whom 
he  pleased,  and  then  all  of  a  sudden  you  sprang 


FATHER  AND  SON  75 

on  that   platform   and   insulted   him   before  his 
invited  guests." 

"How  could  I  dream  that  he  would  commit 
such  an  act  of  insane  treason  before  my  very 
eyes  r 

"You  make  no  allowance  for  the  spell  of 
Barbara  Bozenta's  eloquence.  I  don't  like  her, 
but  she  's  a  wonderful  little  woman,  and  I  envy 
her  her  power  over  men." 

"  I  '11  end  this  folly  to-day,"  was  the  Colonel's 
firm  announcement. 

*'  I  'm  not  so  sure,"  Elena  warned. 

"I '11  show  you!" 

She  came  close  and  laid  her  hand  on  the 
Colonel's  arm. 

"Will  you  promise  me  one  thing,  Guardie  ?'* 
she  asked,  tenderly. 

The  anger  faded  from  the  strong  face,  and  his 
voice  sank  low. 

"  I  'm  afraid  I  've  never  been  able  to  refuse 
you  anything,  child.  It 's  on  your  account,  I 
think,  I  'm  most  angry  with  Norman  to-day." 

"You  promise?"  she  repeated. 

"Yes,  what  is  it?"  he  said,  bending  to  kiss 
her  smooth,  white  forehead. 

"Promise  to  put  all  anger  out  of  your  heart 
and  talk  to  Norman  as  a  father,  not  as  an  enemy 
- —  won't  you  ?" 


76  COMRADES 

"An  enemy  ?"  the  Colonel  slowly  asked. 

"Yes.  I  thought  you  were  going  to  strike  him 
once.  It  would  have  been  horrible.  I  never 
could  have  forgiven  you  for  that.  You  *ve  always 
been  my  hero,  Guardie  —  I  never  saw  you  give 
way  to  anger  before.  I  don't  like  it.  You  '11  talk 
to  him  lovingly  and  tenderly  as  a  father,  won't 
you?" 

"Yes,  dear,  for  your  sake,  I  will,"  he  answered. 

"Then  I  '11  tell  him  to  come.  I  asked  him  to 
wait  outside  until  I  saw  you." 

She  turned  and  quickly  left  the  room.  In  a 
moment  Norman  entered  and  stood  facing  his 
father. 

The  Colonel  flushed  with  anger  at  sight  of 
the  insolence  with  which  the  younger  man  calmly 
surveyed  him. 

"Well,  sir,"  the  father  said,  at  length,  "have 
you  nothing  to  say  to  me  after  what  has  occurred 
to-day?" 

*'I  was  under  the  impression  that  you  had 
something  to  say  to  me,"  was  the  cool  answer. 

By  an  effort  of  will  the  older  man  crushed  back 
an  angry  retort,  smiled,  and  said: 

"Sit  down,  please  —  I  've  a  good  deal  to  say  to 
you. 

Norman  threw  himself  lazily  into  a  chair,  and 
continued   to   watch   his   father   with   a   curious 


FATHER  AND  SON  77 

expression  of  half-amused  contempt.  The  Colo- 
nel stood  in  silence,  evidently  struggling  with  his 
emotions,  and  feeling  for  the  right  word  with 
which  to  begin, 

Norman    anticipated    him. 

"Honestly,  now,  Governor,  just  between  us, 
don't  you  think  you  were  a  little  bit  absurd 
to-day?" 

"Absurd  ?"  his  father  broke  in  with  rising  accent. 

"Just  a  little  childish  about  a  piece  of  red, 
white,  and  blue  cloth?" 

"Perhaps  so,  my  boy,"  was  the  answer.  *' Just 
about  as  absurd  as  you  were  over  the  red  rag 
you  lifted  in  its  place.     Why  did  you  do  it  ?" 

*'On  the  impulse  of  the  moment,  to  express 
my  feeling  of  contempt  for  war,  and  my  faith 
in  my  fellow  man." 

"Exactly.  So  I  acted  on  the  impulse  of  the 
moment  to  express  my  contempt  for  that  crowd 
of  fools  and  fanatics  —  my  loyalty  and  faith  in 
my  country." 

"I  can't  understand  how  a  man  of  your  age, 
poise  and  pride,  culture  and  power,  could  be  so 
foolish.  A  sixteen-year-old  school-boy  on  the 
Fourth  of  July,  yes!     But  you " 

"Norman,"  the  Colonel  interrupted,  in  even 
tones,  "I  'm  sorry  I  Ve  been  too  busy  for  us  to 
get   acquainted.     It 's   time  we   began.     It   may 


78  COMRADES 

interest  you  to  know  that  I,  too,  hate  war  —  learned 
to  hate  it  long  before  your  Socialist  orator  was 
born  —  learned  it  in  the  grim  University  of  Hell 
—  war  itself.  Socialism  has  no  patent  on  the 
hope  of  universal  peace.  I  am  a  member  of  a 
peace  society.  I  have  always  believed  the  Civil 
War  should  have  been  prevented.  All  the  Negroes 
on  this  earth  are  not  worth  the  blood  and  tears 
of  one  year  of  that  struggle.  Whether  it  could 
have  been  prevented  God  alone  knows.  When 
it  came  I  volunteered  —  a  drummer-boy  at 
fourteen  —  and  marched  to  the  front  beneath 
the  flag  you  tore  down  to-day." 

"  I  never  thought  of  that,  Governor  —  honestly, 
I  never  did!'*  the  boy  exclaimed. 

*'I  went  in,"  the  Colonel  continued,  "with 
my  head  full  of  silly  rubbish  about  the  glory 
of  war.  When  I  beat  the  call  to  my  first  charge, 
and  saw  the  men  I  knew  and  loved  shot  to  pieces, 
and  heard  their  groans  and  cries  for  water,  I  had 
no  more  delusions.  I  worked  on  the  field  that 
night  until  twelve  o'clock,  helping  the  men  who 
were  wounded  —  enemies  as  well  as  comrades. 
I  learned  the  brotherhood  of  man  and  the  mean- 
ing of  red  blood  in  the  big,  tragic  school  of  life, 
my  son.  Many  a  boy  in  gray,  whom  I  had 
fought,  died  in  my  arms  while  my  heart  ached 
for  his  loved  ones  in  some  far-away  Southern  home. 


FATHER  AND  SON  79 

"But  I  knew  the  war  had  to  be  when  once  it 
was  begun.  I  was  fighting  for  the  flag  I  loved 
—  and  I  grew  to  love  it  better  than  life.  To 
you  it  may  be  a  bit  of  red,  white,  and  blue  bunting; 
to  me  it  is  the  symbol  of  truth  and  right,  liberty 
and  human  progress. 

"My  people  in  western  North  Carolina  were 
all  slave-holders  and  loyal  to  their  state,  except 
my  father.  He  hated  slavery,  loved  the  Union,  and 
moved  on  westward  before  the  war.  I  saw  them 
bury  him  in  the  flag  you  tore  down  to-day,  my  boy. 

**  Many  a  night  I  've  lain  on  the  ground  looking 
up  at  the  stars  before  the  dawn  of  a  day  of  battle 
and  seen  visions  of  that  flag  flying  triumphant 
in  the  sky.  I  've  seen  the  men  who  carried  it 
shot  down  again  and  again,  and  another  snatch 
it  from  their  dying  grasp  and  bear  it  on  to  victory. 

"  I  grew  not  only  to  love  it,  but  to  believe  in  it 
with  all  the  passionate  faith  of  my  soul.  I  believe 
in  its  destiny,  in  its  sublime  mission  to  humanity. 
The  older  I  've  grown  and  the  more  I  've  seen 
of  my  fellow  man,  the  wider  I  've  travelled  in 
foreign  lands,  the  deeper  has  become  my  con- 
viction that  our  flag  symbolizes  the  noblest,  freest 
ideal  ever  born  in  the  soul  of  man;  that  we  have 
but  to  live  up  to  its  standard  of  Liberty,  Equality, 
and  Fraternity,  and  the  kingdom  of  human 
brotherhood  is  already  here. 


8o  COMRADES 

"After  the  war,  I  joined  the  regular  army,  not 
because  I  loved  war,  but  because  there  seemed 
nothing  else  for  me  to  do  at  the  time.  I  was 
absolutely  alone  in  the  world.  At  twenty-five  I  was 
in  command  of  a  company  on  the  frontier.  I  had 
not  been  in  battle  since  the  end  of  the  Civil  War, 
when  suddenly  I  found  myself  surrounded  by  a 
horde  of  hostile  Indians,  and  I  had  to  turn  my 
machine  guns  on  them  and  mow  them  down. 
The  slaughter  was  something  terrific.  As  the 
last  charge  was  made  I  saw  a  young  squaw 
retreat  in  the  face  of  a  withering  fire,  walk  back- 
ward facing  our  men,  holding  a  bundle  of  some- 
thing behind  her  body.  She  fell  at  last,  riddled 
with  bullets.  I  rode  up  where  she  lay,  and 
found  the  bundle  to  be  a  little  Indian  baby  boy. 
He  was  unhurt,  and  stretched  out  his  hand  to  me 
in  friendly  baby  greeting.  I  found  the  squaw 
quite  dead,  and  discovered  the  child  was  not  her 
own.  She  was  simply  trying  to  save  it  for  the 
tribe.  I  took  the  child  and  educated  him.  But 
he  went  back  to  the  free  life  of  the  plains.  I 
found  him  again,  and  made  him  the  gamekeeper 
of  our  mountain  preserves." 

"You  mean  Saka  .f"'     Norman  asked. 

"Yes.  That  night  as  I  lay  in  my  tent  I  saw 
war  as  it  is  —  a  hideous,  savage  nightmare. 
From  that  moment  I  hated   the   service,  hated  its 


FATHER  AND  SON  8i 

iron  laws  of  discipline,  its  cruel  machinery  devised 
for  suppressing  the  individuality  of  its  members. 
I  saw  that  night  a  larger  vision  of  life.  I  made  up 
my  mind  to  create,  not  to  kill  —  to  build  up,  not 
to  tear  down.  I  left  the  army  and  mastered 
mining. 

"Your  leather-lunged  agitators  say  that  I 
stole  my  millions  from  the  earnings  of  the  men 
who  worked  for  me.  A  more  stupid  lie  was  never 
uttered.  I  invented  improved  mining  machin- 
ery. I  made  deserts  blossom  and  gave  employ- 
ment to  thousands  of  men  who  could  n't  think 
for  themselves.  I  did  their  thinking  for  them, 
and  set  their  tasks.  I  have  made  millions,  and 
have  added  tens  of  millions  to  the  wealth  of  the 
West." 

"  If  labour  is  the  creator  of  all  wealth  can  one 
man  ever  earn  a  million  dollars  ? "  Norman 
interrupted. 

"  Alanual  labour  is  not  the  creator  of  wealth. 
The  brain  which  conceives  is  the  creator  of 
wealth.  The  hand  which  executes  these  plans 
is  merely  the  automaton  moved  by  a  superior 
power." 

"Yet  nothing  could  be  accomplished  without 
it,"  persisted  Norman. 

His  father  lifted  his  hand  with  a  gesture  of 
command. 


82  COMRADES 

"We  '11  not  discuss  the  theory  of  Socialism 
to-day,  my  boy.  I  grant  you  have  plausible  argu- 
ments which  skilful  demagogues  are  using  with 
more  and  more  efficiency.  I  don't  object  to  your 
study  of  this  subject.  I  'm  rather  pleased  at 
the  serious  turn  your  energies  have  taken.  What 
I  do  object  to  is  your  continued  association  with 
the  kind  of  people  who  made  up  that  crowd 
to-day  —  people  who  make  the  agitation  of  the 
revolutionary  programme  of  the  Socialists  a  daily 
profession,  people  who  are  seeking  to  destroy 
modern  civilization  itself." 

"You  will  have  to  come  down  to  earth. 
Governor,"  Norman  said,  "in  your  indictment 
of  these  people.  The  time  has  gone  by  when 
you  can  scare  anybody  with  a  few  high- 
sounding  phrases.  If  modern  civilization  is 
rotten,  it  ought  to  be  destroyed,  and  who  cares 
if  it  is  ?" 

"The  issue  between  us,  my  boy,"  the  Colonel 
continued,  gravely,  "is  not  an  academic  one.  It 
is  not  open  to  discussion.  Some  of  the  people 
you  are  associating  with  have  criminal  records. 
If  they  continue  their  present  wild  harangues 
they  will  be  shot  down  like  dogs  in  the  streets. 
I  cannot  afford  to  have  my  name  even  under  the 
suspicion  of  sympathy  for  them,  through  you. 
Do  you  understand  me  ? " 


FATHER  AND  SON  83 

'I  think  I  do,"  Norman  replied,  holding  his 
father's   steady   gaze. 

"You  are  my  son  and  the  heir  of  my  fortune. 
But  you  must  remember  that  I  am  the  master  of 
this    establishment." 

*'  I  am  aware  of  that  fact,  sir,"  the  boy  replied, 
in  cold  tones. 

"I  trust  that  it  will  not  be  necessary,  then,  for 
me  to  repeat  to  you  my  first  positive  order  —  that 
you  will  immediately  sever  your  connection  with 
the  Socialist  Club,  and  never  again  appear  in 
public  or  private  with  the  three  people  who  were 
on  that  platform  to-day." 

"  It  will  not  be  necessary  for  you  to  repeat  your 
order,"  the  young  athlete  replied,  with  a  curious 
smile  and  a  slight  tightening  of  the  lips. 

"I  thought  as  much." 

Norman  laughed,  and  the  Colonel's  eyes  began 
to  blaze. 

"What  do  you  mean,  sir  ?"  he  sternly  asked. 

"That  it  will  be  unnecessary  for  you  to  repeat 
your  order,  for  the  very  simple  reason  that  I  'm 
a  man.  I  've  the  right  to  do  my  own  thinking, 
and  I  propose  to  do  it." 

With  a  quick  stride  the  Colonel  confronted 
the  young  rebel,  his  breath  quick  and  laboured, 
his  face  aflame  with  unbridled  rage. 

"You  dare  thus  to  defy  my  wishes  ?" 


84  COMRADES 

"If  you  put  It  that  way,  yes." 

The  Colonel  stepped  to  the  door  and  opened  it. 

"You  will  obey  my  order  or  get  out  of  this 
house  never  to  enter  it  again.   Take  your  choice!" 

"You  mean  it  .f"'  the  younger  man  asked,  with 
sullen  emphasis. 

"  Exactly  what  I  say,"  was  the  cold  reply. 

Norman  turned  without  a  word,  seized  his  hat, 
and  left  the  room.  As  he  reached  the  end  of  the 
corridor,  and  placed  his  hand  on  the  front  door,  his 
father's  voice  rang  out  suddenly: 

"Norman!" 

He  paused,  and  looked  back  without  taking  his 
hand  from  the  knob. 

"You  can't  be  such  a  fool!"  the  Colonel  cried. 

"It  looks  that  way.  Governor!" 

He  opened  the  door,  softly  closed  it,  and  was 
gone. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THROUGH  THE   EYES  OF  LOVE 

NORMAN'S  break  with  his  father  created  a 
sensation.  The  flag  episode,  coming  on 
the  Fourth  of  July  and  at  the  very  hour  when  the 
guns  of  the  forts  were  thundering  their  celebration 
of  the  fleet's  victory  at  Santiago,  presented  the 
dramatic  contrast  which  stirred  the  indignation  of 
the  public  to  unusual  depths.  The  morning 
papers  devoted  from  four  to  five  columns  to  the 
story.  The  remarkable  speech  of  Barbara 
Bozenta  was  reported  in  full,  with  a  sketch 
of  her  life,  interspersed  with  portraits  of  the 
Wolfs,  of  Norman,  Elena,  his  father,  the 
palatial  home  on  Nob  Hill,  and  the  country 
estate  where  the  stirring  little  drama  had  been 
played. 

The  Socialist  cause  received  a  tremendous 
impetus.  The  very  violence  of  the  editorial 
assaults  on  their  programme  reacted  in  their 
favour.  Thousands  of  men  who  did  not  know 
the  meaning  of  the  word  Socialism  began  to  read 
and  think  and  discuss  its  principles.  Their  meet- 
ings were  crowded,  and  the  fame  of  the  little  brown- 

85 


86  COMRADES 

eyed  Joan  of  Arc  became  so  great  it  was  no  longer 
possible  for  her  to  pass  through  the  streets  without 
an  escort. 

All  sorts  of  stories  about  the  relations  of  the 
famous  millionaire  and  his  son  filled  the  air. 
Some  were  printed,  others  were  vague  rumours.  A 
sensational  paper  published  the  story  that  they 
had  actually  come  to  blows,  and  had  fought  a  duel 
in  the  big  library  which  might  have  ended  fatally 
for  one  or  both  but  for  the  timely  interference  of 
Colonel  Worth's  ward,  Elena  Stockton. 

Norman  became  at  once  the  hero  of  the 
Socialist's  cause.  His  appearance  at  a  meet- 
ing was  the  signal  for  pandemonium  to  break 
loose.  He  secured  employment  on  a  sensational 
daily  paper,  and  his  signed  articles  were  made 
a  feature. 

Colonel  Worth  was  so  enraged  over  the  vulgar 
notoriety  with  which  the  incident  had  overwhelmed 
him  that  he  denied  himself  to  all  callers,  refused 
to  speak  to  a  reporter  or  to  allow  a  word  to  be 
uttered  in  confirmation  or  denial  of  any  stories 
printed  or  rumoured. 

He  issued  orders  that  Norman's  name  should 
never  again  be  spoken  in  his  house. 

When  he  made  this  announcement  to  Elena  her 
full,  red  lips,  quivered  and  she  looked  at  him 
reproachfully. 


THROUGH  THE  EYES  OF  LOVE      ^y 

"I  mean  it,  Elena,"  he  said,  sternly. 

The  girl  spoke  in  tenderness. 

"I  don't  believe  you,  Guardie.  It  isn't  like 
you  at  all.  I  '11  not  mention  his  name  to  a  servant, 
but  I  vs^ill  to  you." 

"I  don't  want  to  hear  it!" 

"That 's  because  you  know  you  've  done  a  great 
wrong." 

"  I  accept  the  responsibility.  It 's  done,  and 
that 's  the  end  of  it." 

"Nothing  ends  until  it  ends  right,  Guardie,'* 
spoke  the  soft,  even  voice. 

"  I  know  it 's  hard  on  you,  dear,"  the  Colonel 
responded,  with  feeling.  "It  was  for  your  sake 
I  made  the  issue.  If  he  has  turned  from  you  for 
a  loud-mouthed  vulgar  agitator,  he  's  not  worth  a 
thought.  Forget  that  he  lives.  I  'm  going  to 
leave  my  fortune  to  you." 

"I  don't  want  it  at  the  price,  Guardie,'* 
she  replied,  slipping  her  arm  around  his 
neck  and  resting  her  head  on  his  shoulder. 
"  I  could  n't  be  happy  with  such  a  fortune. 
What  you  've  done  hurts  me  more  than  it  hurts 
Norman." 

"Yes,  yes.  I  Know  that  you  love  him,  child, 
but  your  happiness  could  not  be  found  among  a 
crowd  of  criminals  and  revolutionists." 

"I'm  not  thinking  of  myself,"  was  the  low 


88  COMRADES 

response  as  she  withdrew  from  his  arms,  "I  was 
thinking  of  you." 

"Of  me?" 

"Yes.  You  've  broken  my  idol.  To  me  you 
were  the  one  perfect  man  in  the  world.  I  did  n't 
know  you.  I  did  n't  know  that  you  were  hard  and 
cold  and  cruel  and  selfish  and  proud.  " 

"I'm  not,  Elena." 

"You  allowed  Norman  to  drift  into  any  crazy 
theory  that  might  strike  his  fancy.  And  the 
moment  he  fails  to  agree  with  your  views  you 
turn  like  a  madman  and  drive  him  into  the  streets." 

"He  went  of  his  own  accord.  I  gave  him  his 
choice." 

"And  I  admire  his  pluck.  It  was  a  manly 
thing  to  do." 

"It  was  the  act  of  a  fool." 

"Yet,  you  know,  Guardie,  in  your  heart  of 
hearts  you  admire  him  for  it.  He  showed  you  that 
he  was  made  of  the  same  stulFas  his  father." 

The  Colonel  scowled,  and  the  girl  took  courage. 

"I  'm  going  to  meet  him  this  evening " 

"I  forbid  it!" 

"You  can't  help  it,"  she  cried,  as  the  tears  slowly 
gathered.  "I  'm  going  to  tell  him  you  wish  to  see 
and  talk  with  him  again." 

"On  one  condition  only — his  absolute  obedi- 
ence to  my  wishes. " 


THROUGH  THE  EYES  OF  LOVE  89 

"  I  love  him  all  the  more  for  defying  you  —  love 
him  better  than  I  ever  did  in  my  life.  And  — 
and,  Guardie  —  I  don't  love  you  any  more.  You 
are  cruel  and  unjust." 

With  a  sob  she  turned  and  left  the  room. 


« 
4 


CHAPTER  IX 

A  FADED   PICTURE 

'LENA'S  tears  had  shaken  the  Colonel's 
confidence  in  his  position  as  nothing  else 
could  possibly  have  done.  Since  she  had  finished 
her  course  in  college  two  years  before,  and  he  had 
come  in  daily  contact  with  her  strong  personality, 
a  most  intimate  and  perfect  sympathy  had  grown 
between  them.  He  had  never  before  known  her 
intuitive  judgment  to  be  wrong.  Her  impressions 
of  character  especially  he  had  found  singularly 
accurate,  her  sense  of  right  and  her  good  taste 
nearly  perfect. 

He  retired  to  his  room  at  night  with  a  deep  sense 
of  uneasiness.  His  anger  had  cooled,  and  in  its 
stead  a  feeling  of  depression  slowly  settled.  From 
every  nook  and  corner  came  memories  of  the  boy 
he  had  driven  from  his  door.  His  pictures  hung 
on  the  walls  and  stared  at  him  from  every  piece 
of  furniture  on  which  a  frame  could  be  placed. 
He  had  learned  photography  as  a  pastime  years 
before  the  kodak  was  invented,  and  most  of  the 
pictures  he  had  taken  himself. 

One  photograph  in  particular,  which  stood  by  the 

9» 


A  FADED  PICTURE  91 

clock  on  the  mantel,  set  in  a  heavy  frame  of  ham- 
mered gold,  which  he  had  made  himself  from  the 
product  of  his  first  mine,  riveted  and  held  his 
attention.  His  first  impulse  was  to  tear  these 
pictures  all  down  and  throw  them  in  the  fire. 
He  had  picked  this  one  up  first,  to  carry  out  his 
furious  impulse,  but  something  held  his  hand  and 
he  placed  it  back  in  its  old  place  with  the  grim 
exclamation: 

"No!  It  's  the  act  of  a  coward.  I  've  got  to 
live  with  my  memories  —  or  surrender  at  once. " 

Again  and  again  his  eye  came  back  to  this 
picture.  He  had  taken  it  twenty-three  years  ago 
in  a  little  bedroom  in  a  dirty  hotel  of  a  desolate, 
God-forsaken  mining  town  in  Nevada.  How  well 
he  remembered  it!  He  w^as  poor  then,  and  had 
just  begun  the  first  big  fight  of  his  life  for  wealth 
and  power.  The  boy  was  four  weeks  old,  and  he 
had  insisted  on  taking  the  picture  of  the  mother 
with  the  baby  in  her  arms.  He  had  carefully 
posed  her,  standing  by  the  window  looking 
down  into  the  child's  upturned  face.  It  had 
turned  out  a  remarkable  likeness  of  both  — 
the  young  mother's  face  wreathed  in  smiles, 
tender  and  frail  and  happy,  with  the  great 
joy  of  the  dawn  of  motherhood  shining  in  her 
eyes. 

He  looked  at  it  long  and  tenderly.     And,  as  a 


92  COMRADES 

thousand  memories  of  life  crowded  his  soul,  he 
suddenly  exclaimed: 

"God  in  heaven!  What  does  she  say  to-day 
if  she  knows  what  I  've  done  ? " 

His  eyes  blinked,  and  the  tears  blinded  them. 

He  kissed  the  picture  and  buried  his  face  in  his 
hands  as  a  sob  of  anguish  shook  his  frame. 

"The  girl 's  right.  My  boy  's  my  boy  after  all. 
I  'm  wrong!" 


CHAPTER  X 

SON  AND  FATHER 

WHEN  the  Colonel  had  greeted  Elena  at 
breakfast  next  morning  he  quietly  asked: 

"You  met  Norman  ?" 

"Yes/' 

"I  shall  be  glad  to  see  him  when  he  comes." 

Elena  threw  her  arms  impulsively  around  his 
neck. 

"Now  you  're  a  darling!  Now  you  're  big  and 
strong  and  good  and  great  again  —  and  I  love 
you." 

The  Colonel  stroked  her  hair  slowly,  and  asked 
with  a  smile: 

"What  time  is  he  coming?" 

"He  's  not  coming. "  Elena  laughed. 

"Not  coming  ?"  the  colonel  repeated  blankly. 

"No.     You  're  going  to  see  him." 

"Indeed!" 

"You  see,  Guardie,  he  is  a  chip  off  the  old 
block." 

"It  begins  to  look  like  he  's  the  whole  block," 
the  Colonel  remarked,  dryly. 

"Can  you  blame  him  after  the  way  you  acted  ?" 

93 


P4  COMRADES 

"I  can't  say  I  do,  much.  I  like  a  boy  of 
spirit " 

"And  individuality  —  that 's  your  own  pet  idea 
Guardie." 

The  Colonel  was  silent  a  moment. 

"  Yes.     I  Hke  his  grit.     Where  will  I  find  him  ? " 

"  At  his  desk  at  work  in  the  newspaper  office." 

"I  '11  call  him  up  and  make  an  appointment." 

The  Colonel  seized  the  telephone,  called  the 
newspaper  office,  and  asked  for  Norman.  He 
waited  for  several  minutes  before  any  one  reached 
the  'phone.  He  scarcely  recognized  the  short, 
sharp  business  accent  of  Norman's  voice: 

"Well,  well,  what  is  it.?" 

The  Colonel  cleared  his  throat. 

"Here!  Here!  Get  a  move  on  you  —  what 's 
the  matter  —  I  'm  in  a  hurry!" 

"This  is  your  father,  Norman " 

Get  off  the  wire  or  quit  your  kiddin' — what  do 
you  want  ?" 

His  father  laughed. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Governor,  honestly  I  did  n't 
recognize  your  voice  until  you  laughed.  I  'm 
awfully  glad  to  hear  it  again.  What  can  I  do  for 
you  r 

"Well,  I  must  say  I  like  your  impudence. 
What  can  you  do  for  me  .?  I  want  to  see  you  right 
away.     Shall  I  call  at  your  office .?" 


SON  AND  FATHER 


95 


A  pause  ensued,  followed  by  audible  smiles 
at  both  ends  of  the  wire. 

"Of  course  not,  sir.  It  seems  a  long  time  since 
I  left  home  but  I  've  not  forgotten  the  way.  I  'II 
come  over  as  soon  as  I  can  leave  my  desk." 

Two  hours  later  he  entered  the  library  with  a 
boyish  laugh  and  grasped  his  father's  hand. 

The  Colonel  pressed  it  with  deep  tenderness. 

"You  must  forgive  me,  boy.  I  was  n't  fair  to 
you  the  other  day." 

Norman  tried  to  laugh,  and  stammered 
awkwardly: 

"Well,  when  I  hear  a  man  of  your  age  and 
experience  say  a  thing  like  that.  Governor,  I 
begin  to  fear  I  'm  not  quite  as  big  as  I  thought  I 
was." 

"Then  we  're  both  in  the  right  mind  now,  to 
begin  all  over  again,  are  we  not  ?" 

"It 's  with  you,  sir,"  was  the  quick  reply. 

"Suppose  I  can  convince  you  that  you  have 
entered  on  a  mistaken  mission  —  that  your 
programme  is  foolish,  impossible,  and  dangerous  .^" 

"  Do  it,  and  I  '11  join  you  in  trying  to  put  an  end 
to  Socialism." 

"  Before  I  begin,  let  me  ask  you  a  very  personal 
question." 

"As  many  as  you  like,  Governor,'*  was  the  frank 
response. 


96  COMRADES 

"Are  you  mixed  up  in  any  way  personally  with 
the  young  woman  who  spoke  here  that  day  ?'* 

"We  're  comrades  in  the  cause  of  humanity  — 
that 's  all." 

"You  're  sure  that  it  is  not  her  personal  influ- 
ence over  you  that  has  made  you  a  Socialist  ?" 

"Only  in  so  far  as  she  has  made  me  think 
and  feel." 

"You  have  not  made  love  to  her  .f"' 

"Certainly    not.     I  'm    engaged    to    Elena." 

"Then  it  ought  to  be  easy  for  us  to  understand 
each  other.  Come  down  out  of  the  clouds  of 
theory  now,  and  tell  me  exactly  how  you  are  going 
to  save  humanity,  and  let 's  see  if  we  can't  work 
together  for  the  same  end.  A  great  purpose  like 
yours  ought  not  to  separate  father  and  son  — 
you  can't  defend  such  platitudes  as  this,  for 
example,  which  one  of  your  orators  got  off  last 
night  —  listen!" 

The  Colonel  took  the  morning  paper  from 
the  table  and  read: 

"Remember  in  this  supreme  hour  that  capital- 
ism has  you  and  your  loved  ones  by  the  throats, 
is  stealing  your  substance,  draining  your  veins, 
and  reducing  you  inch  by  inch  to  the  potter's 
field.  Every  sweating  den  cries  out  to  you  as 
from  the  depths  of  hell  to  gird  up  your  loins 
and  march  forth    in  one  solid  phalanx  to  strike 


SON  AND  FATHER  97 

the  blow  that  shall  sound  the  knell  of  capitalistic 
despotism,  and  set  the  star  of  hope  in  the  skies 
of  the  despairing  and  dying  thousands  of  your 
class  who  are  at  the  mercy  of  the  vampires  of 
soulless  wealth.  How  long  shall  capitalism  be 
allowed  to  work  its  devastation,  spread  its  blight- 
ing curse,  destroy  manhood,  debauch  woman- 
hood, and  grind  the  flesh  and  blood  and  bone  of 
childhood  into  food  for  Mammon  ?" 

The  Colonel  paused. 

"Such  appeals  to  passion  can  only  end  In  riot, 
bloodshed,  and  prison  bars.  You  don't  write 
such  rot  as  that  yourself,  and  yet  the  men  you  are 
following  preach  it." 

*'I  'm  not  following  just  now.  Governor  —  I  'm 
trying  to  direct  this  tremendous  impulse,  this 
enthusiasm  for  humanity,  called  Socialism,  into 
a  practical  experiment  that  will  demonstrate  the 
truths  of  their  faith,  and  from  this  white  city  of  a 
glorified  human  life  send  out  our  missionaries 
to  conquer  the  world.  Give  me  ten  thousand 
earnest  men  and  women  on  the  island  of  Ventura, 
isolated  from  contact  with  the  corruption  of  the 
outside,  and  I  '11  show  you  a  miracle  more  wonder- 
ful than  if  they  had  risen  from  the  dead." 

"And  what  are  the  foundations  on  which  you 
propose  to  build  this  heaven  on  earth  .^" 

"Squarely  on  these  principles;  From  every  man 


98  COMRADES 

according  to  his  ability;  to  every  man  according 
to  his  needs;  and  to  every  child  born  the  right 
to  laugh  and  play  and  grow  to  a  strong  manhood 
and  womanhood.  We  are  not  civilized  so  long 
as  there  is  one  child  sobbing  to  be  freed  from  the 
tomb  of  the  modern  workshop,  so  long  as  there 
is  one  man  willing  to  work  and  not  able  to  find 
it,  so  long  as  there  is  one  soul  striving  upward 
who  is  crushed  to  earth,  so  long  as  one  man 
lives  in  idleness  and  luxury  while  his  neighbour 
starves,  so  long  as  there  's  one  spot  of  this  earth 
on  which  a  man  lives  by  tearing  the  bread  from 
the  lips  of  another." 

*' Has  n't  your  imagination  been  caught  by 
beautiful  phrases,  my  boy  ? "  asked  the  father. 
"In  your  new  State  of  Ventura  you  will  give  to 
each  man  according  to  his  needs  ^" 

"Yes." 

"And  who  will  decide  how  much  each  one 
needs  —  the  man  who  feels  the  need  or  the 
state?" 

"The  state,  in  the  last  resort." 

"Exactly.  And  who  will  determine  how  large 
the  service  required  of  each  man  ?  Who  will 
decide  the  question  of  ability?" 

"The   state,   of  course." 

"Are  you  not  cutting  out  a  pretty  big  job  for 
the  state,  remembering  that  the  state   is   nothing 


SON  AND  FATHER  99 

more  or  less  than  a  lot  of  ordinary  second-rate 
politicians  named  Tom,  Dick,  and  Harry,  who 
individually  or  collectively  have  n't  as  much  sense 
as  you  or  I  ? " 

"  In  the  new  world  it  will  be  different." 

''Then  you  are  going  to  import  a  new  breed 
of  men  and  women  ?" 

"No,  we  will  simply  give  the  God  in  man  a 
chance  to  be." 

*'  But  how  about  the  beast  that 's  in  man  — 
the  elemental  instinct  to  fight  and  kill  —  to  take 
the  woman  he  desires  by  the  force  of  his  hands 
and  muscle  ?" 

"When  man  is  free  and  strong  and  happy  he 
can  have  no  motive  to  kill  or  play  the  beast." 

"That  remains  to  be  seen,  my  boy!  Your 
assertion  does  not  change  the  nature  of  man. 
Another  problem  in  your  scheme  I  can't  solve 
is  wages." 

"We  will  abolish  wage  slavery." 

"Yes,  yes,  I  know;  but  man  must  work  — 
all  men  must  work  in  your  new  state  ?" 

"Certainly." 

"And  the  man  who  refuses  to  work  .f"' 

"Will  be  made  to  work  according  to  his 
ability." 

"Just  so.  We  live  under  the  wage  system  now 
—  the  system  of  free  contract  by  which  labourer 


100  COMRADES 

and  employer  agree.  Under  your  system  con- 
tract would  be  abolished,  and  men  would  do  what 
they  are  told  to  do  —  a  system  of  command 
instead  of  contract  —  is  it  not  so  ?" 

"I  should  say  just  the  opposite.  Men  are 
forced  to  work  now  at  tasks  they  loathe  and  for 
pay  that  is  insufficient.  Under  our  state  they 
would  be  free  to  choose  the  work  for  which  they 
are  fitted." 

"And  suppose  they  all  choose  one  job  .f"* 

"The  state  would  assign  their  work  in  the  last 
resort." 

"There  you  are,  once  more,  bowing  down  to 
the  same  Tom,  Dick,  and  Harry.  And  you 
cannot  see  that  Socialism  would  impose  on  man 
the  most  colossal  system  of  slavery,  the  most 
merciless  because  the  most  impersonal,  the  world 
ever  saw?" 

"No,  I  cannot.  Give  me  a  chance  on  one 
spot  of  earth  free  from  the  corruption  of  your 
present  system,  and  I  '11  show  you  that  man  is  a 
child  of  God,  that  deep  in  every  human  soul  is 
planted  the  sense  of  brotherhood,  justice,  and 
human   fellowship." 

"And  you  will  abolish  private  property?" 

"Except  what  each  man  earns  or  makes  for 
himself." 

The  Colonel  laughed  aloud. 


SON  AND  FATHER  loi 

**  Can  he  earn  a  wife,  or  make  one  for  himself  ?'* 

*'No;  nor  own  one  as  a  slave." 

"You  can  never  abolish  private  property,  my 
boy,  so  long  as  any  man  has  the  right  to  say, 
*This  woman  is  mine.'  The  home  is  the  basis 
of  modern  civilization.  If  you  destroy  it  the 
home  will  not  survive.  If  the  home  survives  it 
will  kill  Socialism.     The  two  things  can't  mix." 

Norman   laughed. 

''And  you  think  capitalism  is  building  ideal 
homes  with  its  drudgery  that  kills  woman  — 
its  poverty  that  starves  the  man  and  drives  the 
girl  to  a  life  of  shame  ? " 

"Our  conditions  are  not  ideal,  my  son.  But 
they  are  growing  better  with  each  generation. 
Because  all  homes  are  not  ideal,  you  propose 
to  abolish  the  institution.  There  are  ten  million 
homes  in  America.  Perhaps  a  million  of  them 
are  unhappy.  Can  we  mend  matters  by  destroy- 
ing them  all .'' " 

"Socialism  proposes  to  build  the  highest  ideal 
of  home  ever  seen  on  earth,  founded  on  love  — 
and   only   love. " 

The  Colonel  smiled  sadly. 

"I  see  I'm  too  late.  You've  got  it  bad. 
Socialism  is  a  contagious  disease,  imported  from 
the  old  world  —  a  brain  disease,  the  result  of 
centuries  of  wrong  and  oppression.     Its  reasons 


102  COMRADES 

for  existence  in  this  country  are  purely  imaginary. 
If  it  were  possible  for  you  to  build  the  new  State 
of  Ventura  of  which  you  dream '* 

"Dream!  We  are  going  to  do  it,  I  tell  you, 
Governor!  We  have  a  hundred  thousand  dollars 
already  pledged.  We  hold  to-morrow  night  a  great 
mass-meeting  at  which  five  thousand  Socialists 
will  be  present.  Four  hundred  thousand  dollars 
more  will  buy  the  island  and  give  a  capital  of 
three  hundred  thousand  with  which  to  begin.'* 

"Then  I  can't  persuade  you  to  give  up  this 
madness?"  the  Colonel   asked,  tenderly. 

"It's  my  life,"  Norman  answered  firmly. 

The  father  slipped  his  arm  around  the  tall, 
strong  figure. 

"All  right!  Remember  now,  from  this  moment 
on,  one  thing  is  settled  for  good  and  all.  My  boy's 
my  boy,  right  or  wrong,  good  or  bad,  wise  or 
foolish " 

The  Colonel  's  voice  broke,  and  his  grip 
tightened. 

Norman  looked  out  of  the  window,  blinked 
his  eyes,  and  said  in  low  tones: 

"I  understand,  sir!" 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  WAY  OF  A  WOMAN 

\S  ELENA  entered  the  library  the  two  men 
^jL  fell  suddenly  apart  as  though  ashamed 
of  the  weakness  of  affection  before  a  woman. 

The  girl  pretended  not  to  have  seen,  but  her 
face  was  radiant. 

The  Colonel  paused  as  he  turned  to  leave  the 
room: 

"You  will  keep  up  your  newspaper  grind,  my 
boy  ?"  he  asked. 

**No.  I  '11  jump  at  the  chance  to  do  the  big 
thing.     I  '11  give  my  whole  time  to  it." 

"Well,  I  suppose  you  're  right.  The  way 
to  do  a  thing  is  to  do  it." 

As  the  father  passed  Elena  he  softly  whispered : 

"Your  face  shines  like  an  angel's!" 

"  I  am  very  happy,"  was  the  low  answer. 

Norman  hastened  to  her  side,  and  seized  both 
her   hands. 

*'I  owe  this  to  you,  my  stately  queen." 

"He  would  have  come  to  the  same  conclusion 
himself.  I  only  hastened  it  a  little  by  a  sug- 
gestion,"  she  replied. 

103 


104  COMRADES 

"I  have  my  own  idea  about  the  way  you  ex- 
pressed it,"  he  said  with  a  jolly  laugh.  "Look 
here,  Elena,  I  hope  you  don't  believe  that  I  have 
been  disloyal  to  you  in  my  association  with 
Barbara  Bozenta?" 

The  girl  straightened  her  superb  figure,  and 
broke  into  a  laugh  of  mingled  humour  and  irony. 

"Well,  I  've  a  confession  to  make,  Norman. 
I  Ve  been  disloyal  to  you. " 

"You  —  disloyal  —  to  me!"  he  gasped. 

"Yes.  I  've  felt  of  late  as  though  you  were  a 
big,  sick  baby  on  my  hands,  and  I  've  grown  tired 
of  the  charge." 

"Well,  upon  my  soul!"  he  exclaimed. 

"Our  engagement  is  at  an  end.  " 

"Elena!" 

"I  'II  keep  your  beautiful  ring"  —  she  touched 
it  affectionately  —  "  for  the  memories  that  will 
always  bind  us  as  brother  and  sister.  Besides, 
it  will  deceive  your  father  for  a  while.  He  has 
enough  to  worry  him  just  now." 

Before  Norman  could  pull  himself  together,  or 
utter  a  protest,  she  had  turned  and  left  him  gasp- 
ing with  astonishment. 


CHAPTER  XII 

A  ROYAL  GIFT 

NORMAN  resumed  his  place  in  his  father's 
home  and  began  a  systematic,  persistent, 
and  enthusiastic  campaign  to  raise  the  funds  to 
purchase  the  island  of  Ventura  and  establish 
the  ideal  Commonwealth  of  Man. 

On  the  day  of  the  big  mass-m.eeting  of  Socialists, 
who  had  gathered  from  every  state  of  the  Golden 
West,  Elena  found  her  guardian  seated  alone  on  the 
broad  veranda  overlooking  the  Bay  of  San  Fran- 
cisco. A  look  of  deep  trouble  clouded  his  strong 
face. 

"You  are  worried  ?"  she  said,  seating  herself  by 
his  side. 

"Yes,  dearie,*'  was  the  moody  answer. 

"Over  Norman's  meeting.?' 

"Yes.  The  boy's  set  his  heart  on  this  big 
foolish  enterprise.  His  failure  is  a  certainty.  I 
don't  know  what  may  follow." 

"You  are  sure  he  can't  raise  the  money  ?" 

"Absolutely.  The  disappointment  will  be  a 
stunning  blow  to  his  pride." 

"You  know  that  if  he  did  succeed  in  raising  the 


io6  COMRADES 

money,  and  establishing  his  brotherhood  of  man, 
the  scheme  would  end  in  failure  ? " 

"As  clearly  as  I  know  I  am  living.'* 

"Would  you  be  sorry  if  the  dream  should  be 
realized  ?" 

"On  the  other  hand,  I  'd  shout  for  joy  to  find 
the  human  race  capable  of  such  a  miracle." 

Elena  gently  touched  his  hand.  "Then, 
Guardie,  there  's  but  one  thing  to  do,"  she  said, 
with  a  deep,  spiritual  look  in  her  blue  eyes. 

"What?" 

"Give  Norman  a  round  million  dollars  to  make 
the  experiment. " 

The  Colonel  looked  at  her  in  amazement,  and 
suddenly  sprang  to  his  feet,  pacing  the  floor  with 
feverish  steps.  He  stopped  at  last  before  the  girl 
and  studied  her. 

"Don't  let  Norman  know  who  gave  the 
money,"  she  continued.  "It  will  be  a  big, 
noble,  beautiful  thing  to  do  —  and  —  it  will 
save  him." 

"  What  a  wonderful  woman  you  are,  Elena ! " 

He  paused  and  looked  at  her  steadily.  "I'm 
going  to  do  it!" 

When  Norman  returned  at  midnight  from  the 
mass-meeting  his  face  was  flushed  and  his  eyes 
sparkled. 


A  ROYAL  GIFT  107 

"It's  done,  Governor!  It's  done!"  he  fairly 
shouted. 

"You  mean  the  half  million  was  subscribed  ?" 
the  Colonel  asked. 

"Yes,  and  more!"  he  went  on,  excitedly.  "We 
have  succeeded  beyond  my  wildest  hopes.  We 
had  subscriptions  for  a  hundred  thousand.  Fifty 
thousand  more  was  subscribed  at  the  meeting  by 
the  delegates,  and  just  as  we  were  about  to  adjourn 
Judge  Clark,  a  famous  lawyer,  rose  and  announced 
the  gift  of  a  round  million  to  the  cause  by  a  group 
of  friends  whose  names  he  refused  to  make  known." 

"And  what  happened  V^  Elena  asked. 

"  It 's  hard  to  tell  exactly.  The  first  thing  I 
did  was  to  jump  over  three  rows  of  seats,  grab  the 
lawyer,  and  yell  like  a  maniac.  We  carried  him 
around  the  room,  and  shouted  and  screamed  until 
we  were  hoarse.  The  scene  was  indescribable. 
Strong  men  fell  into  each  other's  arms  and  cried 
like  children." 

"  And  you  could  get  no  hint  of  the  identity  of 
the  men  who  gave  the  money  .?"  Elena  inquired. 

"Not  the  slightest.  The  deed  of  gift  was  made 
to  me  through  the  lawyer  as  trustee.  I  don't  like 
one  or  two  conditions,  exactly,  but  it  was  no  time  to 
haggle  over  details." 

"What  were  the  conditions  .?"  Elena  interrupted, 
with  a  glance  at  the  Colonel. 


io8  COMRADES 

"That  the  title  to  the  island  of  Ventura  should 
be  vested  in  me  personally  for  two  years.  And 
five  hundred  thousand  dollars  should  remain  a 
fund  in  my  hands  as  trustee  to  administer  Its 
income  for  the  same  period.  At  the  end  of  one 
year,  or  of  two,  I  may  transfer  the  whole  to  the 
Brotherhood,  or  reconvey  it  to  the  original  donors. 
I  think  it  gives  too  much  power  Into  one  man's 
hands  —  but  I  '11  hold  it  a  sacred  trust.  ** 

The  young  enthusiast's  face  glowed  with  thrill- 
ing purpose,  and  his  eyes  were  shining  with  unshed 
tears,  as  he  laid  his  hand  on  his  father's  shoulder 
and  exclaimed: 

"Ah!  Governor,  you  didn't  have  faith  enough 
in  your  fellow  man!  You  said  it  could  n't  be 
done!" 

"I  congratulate  you,  my  son,"  the  Colonel 
gravely  said,  "and  I  wish  for  you  the  noblesr 
success." 

"There  's  no  such  word  as  fail. "  Norman  cried. 
"No  sleep  for  me  to-night!  I  return  to  the  Social- 
ist Club  for  a  celebration.  I  just  came  to  tell  you 
personally  of  our  triumph.  The  deed  is  done, 
and  the  Brotherhood  of  Man  is  a  thrilling  fact!" 

With  swift,  joyous  stride  he  threw  himself  into 
the  hall  and  bounded  down  the  steps. 

"Suppose  after  all,  Guardie,  he  should  succeed  ?" 
Elena   exclaimed. 


A  ROYAL  GIFT  109 

"  They  'II  start  with  many  things  in  their  favour," 
the  Colonel  responded.  "The  island  of  Ventura 
is  said  to  be  the  most  fertile  and  beautiful  spot  of 
earth  in  the  West.  No  adverse  influences  can 
reach  them  from  without.  Five  thousand  men  and 
women,  inspired  by  a  sublime  faith  in  themselves, 
may  under  such  conditions  surprise  us.  If 
Socialism  is  possible  on  an  island  of  a  hundred 
thousand  acres,  it 's  possible  on  a  hundred  thou- 
sand square  miles,  and  its  faith  will  conquer  the 
world.  We  '11  give  them  two  years  before  we  visit 
them,  and  see  what  happens." 

"Suppose  they  do  succeed!"  Elena  repeated, 
musingly. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE   BURNING  OF  THE   BRIDGES 

THE  success  which  attended  the  launching  of 
the   new   Brotherhood    of  Man    with    its 
million-dollar  endowment  fund  was  phenomenal. 

The  announcement  that  the  books  were  ready 
for  the  enrollment  of  the  pioneer  group  of  two 
thousand  who  should  locate  the  enterprise  on  the 
island  of  Ventura  brought  twenty-five  thousand 
applicants. 

The  first  shocjs.  Norman's  faith  in  man  received 
was  to  collide  with  the  army  of  cranks  who  came 
in  troops  to  join.  Every  creed  of  Christendom, 
every  cult  of  the  heathen  world,  every  ism  of  all 
the  philosophies  of  the  past  and  the  present  came 
in  droves.  They  got  into  arguments  with  one 
another  in  the  waiting-rooms  of  the  Socialist 
headquarters,  and  sometimes  came  to  blows. 
Each  conceived  the  hour  for  establishing  his  own 
particular  patent  for  saving  the  human  race  had 
come.  It  was  an  appalling  revelation  to  Norman 
to  find  how  many  of  these  schemes  were  at  work  in 
the  brains  of  people  who  were  evidently  incapable 
of  taking  care  of  themselves. 


THE  BURNING  OF  THE  BRIDGES  in 

The  first  week  he  attempted  to  hear  each  one 
with  courtesy  and  sympathy.  But  after  wasting 
six  days  in  idiotic  discussions  of  preposterous 
schem.es  he  was  compelled  to  call  on  the  Wolfs 
for  advice 

Both  Wolf  and  his  wife  had  begun  to  call  Nor- 
man "Chief"  from  the  moment  of  their  first  burst 
of  enthusiasm  over  the  gift  of  the  milHon.  At 
times  the  young  dreamer  looked  at  the  massive 
face  of  the  older  man  with  a  touch  of  suspicion  at 
this  sudden  acceptance  of  his  premiership.  And 
yet  both  Wolf  and  Catherine  (she  insisted  that  he 
call  her  Catherine)  seemed  so  utterly  sincere  in 
their  admiration,  so  enthusiastic  in  their  faith 
in  his  ability,  they  always  disarmed  suspicion. 
Catherine's  repeated  explanation  of  this  faith  when 
Norman  halted  or  hesitated  was  always  flattering 
to  his  vanity,  and  yet  perfectly  reasonable. 

"  My  boy,  we  take  off  our  hats  to  you !  A  man 
can't  do  the  impossible  unless  he  tries.  We  did  n't 
try.  You  did.  The  trouble  with  Herman,  and 
with  every  man  of  forty,  is  that  he  loses  faith  in 
himself.  We  get  careful  and  conservative.  We 
lack  the  dash  and  fire  and  daring  of  youth.  I 
envy  you.  I  salute  you  as  the  inspired  leader  of 
our  Cause  — you  've  done  the  impossible!  And 
you  've  just  begun.  We  can  only  hope  to  help 
you  with  our  larger  experience." 


112 


COMRADES 


At  the  end  of  a  week  of  futile  and  exhausting 
palaver  with  this  army  of  cranks  who  infest  the 
West,  Wolf,  carefully  watching  his  opportunity, 
turned  to  Norman  and  said: 

"I  've  been  waiting  for  you  to  see  things  a  little 
more  clearly  before  I  say  something  to  you  —  I 
think  it  's  time." 

"What  is  it  ?"  the  young  leader  asked. 

Wolf  hesitated  a  moment  as  if  feeling  his  way. 

"Something  he  should  have  said  sooner.'- 
exclaimed  Catherine. 

"There  's  but  one  way,  comrade.  Kick  thesd^ 
fools  into  the  street!" 

"  But  don't  we  begin  to  weaken  the  moment  we 
do  a  thing  like  that }  We  accept  the  brotherhood 
of   man " 

"Of  man,  yes,"  the  old  leader  broke  in,  "but 
these  are  not  men  —  they  are  what  might  have  been 
had  they  lived  in  a  sane  world.  They  are  the 
results  of  the  nightmare  we  c:ill  civilization.  The 
kindest  thing  you  can  do  for  a  crank  is  to  kill  him. 
You  are  trying  to  do  what  God  Almighty  never 
undertook  —  to  make  something  out  of  nothing. 
You  know,  when  he  made  Adam  he  had  a  ball  of 
mud  to  start  with." 

"  I  'm  afraid  you  're  right,"  Norman  agreed. 

"When  the  Brotherhood  is  established  with 
picked   men,"   Catherine   added,   "we   can   take 


THE  BURNING  OF  THE  BRIDGES    113 

in  new  members  with  less  care.  Now  it  is  of 
the  utmost  importance  that  we  select  the  pioneer 
group  of  the  best  blood  in  the  Socialist  ranks  — 
trained  men  and  women  who  believe  with  passion- 
ate faith  V  hat  you  and  I  believe." 

*'Then  do  it/'  Norman  said,  with  emphasis. 
**I  put  you  and  Wolf  in  charge  of  this  first  roll. 
I  Ve  more  important  work  to  do  in  organizing 
the  business  details  of  the  enterprise." 

A  look  of  joy  flashed  from  Wolf's  gray  eyes 
into  the  woman's  as  he  calmly  but  quickly 
replied:" 

"I  '11  do  the  best  I  can." 

**You  ought  to  know  by  name  every  true 
Socialist  on  the  Coast,"  Norman  added. 

"I  do,  comrade,  and  I  '11  guarantee  the  pioneer 
group." 

"Let  all  applicants  for  membership  hereafter 
pass  your  scrutiny,"  were  his  final  orders. 

He  rose  from  his  desk  with  a  sigh  of  relief  as 
Barbara  entered  the  room,  her  cheeks  flushed 
with  joy,  her  eyes  sparkling  with  excitement  from 
the  ovation  she  had  just  received  from  the  crowd 
which  packed  the  corridor. 

His  first  impulse  was  to  ask  her  to  accompany 
him  to  the  country,  rest  and  play  for  a  day. 
His  heart  beat  more  quickly  at  the  thought,  but  as 
the  question  trembled  on  his  lips,  his  eyes  rested 


114  COMRADES 

on  Wolf's  shaggy  head  bending  over  the  piles 
of  papers  on  his  desk,  and  a  grim  fear  shadowed 
his  imagination.  Elena's  laughter  suddenly 
echoed  through  his  memory.  He  recalled  his 
father's  questions.  A  frown  slowly  settled  on 
his  brow,  and  a  firm  resolution  took  shape  in  his 
mind. 

"No  v^^oman's  spell  to  blind  your  senses! 
Clear  thinking,  my  boy!  You  're  on  trial  before 
the  man  who  gave  you  life.  You  're  on  trial 
before  the  men  whose  faith  gave  you  a  million 
dollars  to  put  you  to  the  test.  Success  first,  and 
then,  perhaps,  the  joy  of  living!" 

Barbara  felt  the  chill  of  a  sudden  barrier 
between  them,  and  looked  at  him  with  a  little 
touch   of  wounded    pride. 

He  merely  nodded  pleasantly  and  hurried  from 
the  room. 

He  gave  his  whole  energies  at  once  to  the  larger 
business  of  the  enterprise.  The  title  to  the  prop- 
erty was  searched  with  the  utmost  thoroughness 
and  found  to  be  perfect.  Enormous  sums  of 
money  had  been  spent  on  the  island  by  the  bank- 
rupt wild-cat  real-estate  company  which  had 
bought  it  in  for  improvement  and  exploitation. 
They  had  built  a  magnificent  hotel  with  accom- 
modations for  one  thousand  five  hundred  guests, 
had     planted    vineyards,    established    a    winery 


THE  BURNING  OF  THE  BRIDGES    115 

planted  vast  orchards  of  plums,  apricots,  olives, 
peaches,  and  oranges,  built  flour  mills,  an  ice 
factory,  and  had  started  a  number  of  mining  and 
manufacturing  enterprises.  When  the  bubble 
burst  the  company  was  bankrupt  and  the  lawyers 
got  the  rest.  A  careful  inventory  showed  to 
Norman  that  they  had  acquired  a  property  of 
enormous  value.  The  improvements  alone  had 
cost  ^1,250,000,  and  they  were  worth  twice  that 
sum  now  to  the  colony. 

He  chartered  a  corporate  society,  known  as 
"The  Brotherhood  of  Man,"  for  the  purpose  of 
legalizing  the  new  social  State  of  Ventura  when 
it  had  passed  the  experimental  stage  and  he  could 
surrender  to  it  the  title  and  money  held  in  trust 
under  the  deed  of  gift.  Two  hundred  thousand 
dollars  was  paid  in  cash  for  the  island,  and  the 
remaining  capital  held  for  work.  A  steamer  was 
purchased  to  serve  the  colony  by  plying  between 
the  island,  Santa  Barbara,  and  San  Francisco. 

The  Wolfs  advised  Norman  that  no  mail 
service  be  asked  or  permitted. 

"The  reasons  are  many,  comrade,"  the  old 
leader  urged.  *'The  first  condition  of  success 
in  this  work  is  the  complete  isolation  of  the 
colony  from  outside  influences.  If  modern  civili- 
zation is  hell,  you  can't  build  a  heaven  with  daily 
communication  between  the  two  places." 


ii6  COMRADES 

"Every  man  and  woman  who  enters,"  Cath- 
erine added,  "must  sign  a  solemn  contract  to 
remain  five  years,  enlist  as  soldier,  and  com- 
municate with  the  outside  world  only  by 
permission  of  the  authority  of  the  Brotherhood." 

"I  see,"  laughed  Norman.  "I  must  have 
the  Czar's  power  to  examine  suspected  mail  if 
treason  or  rebellion  threatens." 

"Exactly,"  cried  Wolf. 

"A  large  power  to  put  in  one  man's  hands!" 
Norman   protested. 

"There  's  not  a  man  or  woman  going  to  that 
island  who  would  n't  trust  you  with  life,  to  say 
nothing  of  a  mail  pouch,"  Catherine  declared, 
with  a  look  of  genuine  admiration. 

"You  think  such  drastic  measures  to  prevent 
communication  with  the  outside  world  will  be 
needed.?"  Norman  argued. 

"Let  us  hope  not,"  Wolf  quickly  replied. 
"  But  it  's  better  to  be  on  the  safe  side.  The 
history  of  every  experiment  made  in  Socialism 
by  the  heroes  and  pioneers  of  the  cause  in  the 
past  shows  that  failure  came  in  every  case  from 
just  this  source.  We  will  start  under  the  most 
favourable  conditions  ever  tried.  Our  island 
will  be  a  little  world  within  itself.  Cut  every 
line  of  possible  communication  with  modern 
competitive  society,  and  we  can  prove  the  brother- 


THE  BURNING  OF  THE  BRIDGES    117 

hood  of  man  a  living  fact.  Open  our  experiment 
to  the  lies  and  slanders  of  our  enemies  from 
without,  and  they  can  destroy  us  before  the  work 
is  fairly  begun.  Our  colony  would  be  overrun 
with  hostile  reporters  from  the  capitalist  press, 
for  example " 

**  You  're  right,"  exclaimed  Norman. 

"Let  every  volunteer  enlist  in  the  service  of 
humanity  for  five  years,"  repeated  Catherine, 
"agreeing  to  hold  no  communication  with  the 
world.  Make  that  agreement  one  impossible  for 
them  to  break,  and  our  success  is  as  sure  as  that 
man  is  made  in  the  image  of  God.  All  we  ask 
is  a  chance  to  prove  it  without  interference." 

"I  agree  with  you,"  cried  Norman,  at  last. 
"Five  years'  service,  with  every  bridge  burned 
behind  us  —  we  '11  fight  it  out  on  that  line. " 

A  look  of  triumph  came  from  beneath  Wolf*s 
shaggy  brows  as  his  eyes  rested  again  on  the 
smiling  madonna-like  face  of  the  woman  by 
his   side. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE    NEW   WORLD 

ON  A  beautiful  Sunday  morning  in  May, 
1899,  the  steamship  Comrade  slowly  swept 
through  the  Golden  Gate  with  two  thousand 
enthusiastic  Socialists  crowding  her  decks,  shout- 
ing, cheering,  laughing,  crying,  singing  their  joy 
and  faith  in  the  new  world  of  human  brotherhood 
for  which  they  had  set  sail. 

The  flag  of  the  republic  flew  from  her  stern 
because  the  law  of  the  port  of  entry  required 
it.  But  from  her  huge  prow  rose  a  slender  steel 
stafi^,  above  the  tips  of  her  funnels  and  masts, 
on  which  flew  the  blood-red  ensign  of  Socialism, 
while  from  every  masthead  huge  red  steamers 
fluttered  in  the  sky. 

At  noon  on  the  following  day  the  eager  eyes 
of  the  pioneers  sighted  the  island  of  Ventura. 
At  first  a  tiny  white  and  blue  spot  on  the  horizon, 
and  then  slowly  out  of  the  sea  rose  its  majestic 
outlines,  until  at  last  the  ship  drew  in  so  close  to 
the  towering  mountains  of  its  shore  line  the 
colonists  could  almost  touch  the  stone  walls 
with  their  hands. 

118 


THE  NEW  WORLD  119 

The  captain  was  evidently  at  home  in  the 
sparkling  blue  waters  which  rolled  lazily  against 
the  perpendicular  cliffs. 

Norman  had  climbed  over  the  piles  of  freight, 
cordage,  and  anchors,  and  taken  his  stand  beside 
the  flagstaff  on  the  ship's  prow,  his  soul  enrap- 
tured with  the  thrilling  adventure  on  which  he 
had  embarked. 

He  had  made  two  trips  to  the  island  before, 
but  never  had  he  seen  it  rise  from  the  sea  in  such 
matchless  glory  as  to-day. 

Far  up  in  the  sky  loomed  the  mountain  peaks 
still  covered  with  snow,  while  the  rich  hills  and 
valleys  to  the  southward  rolled  laughingly  in  their 
robes  of  green. 

Five  miles  down  the  coast  the  ship  turned 
her  nose  inshore,  and  slowly  ploughed  her  way 
through  a  narrow  channel  which  opened  between 
two  hills.  She  quickly  cleared  the  channel  and 
rounded  another  headland,  when  a  shout  rang 
from  her  decks.  Straight  before  them,  across  a 
beautiful  landlocked  bay,  which  formed  a  per- 
fect harbour,  rose  the  huge  hotel,  the  home 
of  the  Brotherhood.  The  central  building  was 
crowned  by  two  tall  towers,  and  the  long 
wings  which  stretched  toward  the  sea  pierced 
the  skyline  with  a  dozen  minarets  of  quaint 
Moorish     pattern.      From   the    flagpole    on    the 


120  COMRADES 

lawn,  from  each  graceful  tower  and  each  shining 
sun-kissed  minaret,  flew  the  scarlet  ensign  of 
Socialism. 

When  the  ship  swept  in  alongside  the  pier  the 
building  loomed  from  its  hilltop  higher  apparently 
than  the  mountain  range  behind  it. 

Barbara  clapped  her  hands  as  she  ran  to 
Norman's  side. 

*'Look!  Look  at  those  flags!  Aren't  they 
glorious .?  Nobody  will  haul  them  down  here, 
will  they?" 

Norman  lifted  his  eyes  and  looked  in  silence 
for  a  moment.  A  stiff  breeze  was  blowing  from 
the  southeast,  and  the  two  huge  banners  of  scarlet 
stood  straight  from  their  staffs  on  the  towers  and 
seemed  to  fill  the  sky  with  quivering  flame. 

"Glorious!"  he  said,  at  last.  "They  speak 
the  end  of  strife,  the  dawn  of  love  and  human 
brotherhood!" 

The  Wolfs  had  preceded  them  to  the  colony 
with  a  select  band  of  enthusiasts,  stored  the 
first  supplies,  and  set  the  place  in  order  to 
receive  as  welcome  guests  the  first  shipload  of 
pioneers. 

When  the  throng  of  joyous,  excited  comrades 
had  landed,  they  formed  in  line  and  marched  up 
from  the  pier.  The  wide,  white,  smooth  road 
led    through    a    wilderness     of    flowers    which 


THE  NEW  WORLD  121 

had  grown  in  wild  profusion  since  they  had 
been  abandoned  two  years  before.  The  Wolfs 
led  the  procession,  with  Barbara  and  Norman 
by  their  side. 

When  they  reached  the  big  circle  of  scarlet 
geraniums  in  the  centre  of  the  floral  court  between 
the  two  wings  of  the  great  building  they  stopped, 
and  Catherine  began  in  her  clear,  thrilling  soprano 
voice  the  Marseillaise  hymn.  The  pioneers 
crowded  around  her  tall,  commanding  figure 
and  sang  with  inspired  emotion.  Every  heart 
beat  with  high  resolve.  The  heaven  of  which  they 
had  dreamed  was  no  longer  a  dream.  They  were 
walking  its  white,  shining  streets.  Their  souls 
were  crying  for  joy  in  its  dazzling  court  of  honour. 
The  old  world,  with  its  sin  and  shame,  its  crime 
and  misery,  its  hunger  and  cold,  its  greed  and  lust, 
its  cruelty  and  insanity,  had  passed  away,  and  lo! 
all  things  were  new.  The  very  air  was  charged 
with  faith  and  hope  and  love.  A  wave  of  religious 
ecstasy  swept  the  crowd.  They  called  each  by 
their  first  names.  Strong  men  embraced, 
crying  "Comrade!"  through  their  tears.  The 
older  ones  had  made  allowances  for  the  glowing 
accounts  of  the  island.  They  expected  some 
disillusioning  at  first.  Yet  their  wildest  expecta- 
tions were  far  surpassed.  Such  beauty,  isuch 
grandeur,  such  wealth  of  nature,  such  magnificence 


122  COMRADES 

of  equipment,  were  too  good  to  be  true,  and  yet 
they  were  facts. 

The  island  of  Ventura  was  enchanted.  The 
impression  it  gave  each  heart  of  the  certainty  of 
success  was  the  biggest  asset  of  real  wealth  with 
which  the  colony  began  its  history. 


CHAPTER  XV 

FOR  THE  CAUSE 

DURING  the  first  enchanted  days  every  man 
woman  and  child  entered  the  strange  new 
system  with  a  determination  to  see  only  its  beauty, 
its  truth,  its  sure  success.  Service  was  the  order 
of  the  day.  Men  who  had  never  before  worked 
with  their  hands  asked  the  privilege  of  the  hardest 
tasks. 

The  whole  colony  swarmed  to  unload  the  ship. 
They  refused  to  allow  the  crew  to  touch  a  piece 
of  freight  or  handle  a  piece  of  baggage. 

The  only  difficulty  Norman  found  was  to  sys- 
tematize their  work  under  the  captain's  direction. 

The  day  following  they  "swarmed"  again  to 
clear  the  lawn  of  weeds  and  restore  the  labyrinth 
of  walks  and  beds  of  flowers  in  the  great  court. 
Merchants  exchanged  the  yardstick  for  the  rake 
and  hoe.  Preachers  laid  aside  their  sermons  to 
wield  a  spade,  and  returned  from  their  tasks  in 
the  evening  with  song  and  laughter. 

Among  the  women  the  spirit  of  sacrifice  and 
enthusiastic  service  was  even  higher.  Many  who 
loved  flowers  begged  the  privilege  of  using  the 

1^3 


124  COMRADES 

pruning-knife  and  some  even  seized  a  hoe  and 
worked  with  unwearied  zeal. 

Others,  who  had  never  seen  the  inside  of  their 
own  kitchens,  rolled  up  their  sleeves,  donned  white 
aprons,  entered  the  great  cooking-room  of  the 
hotel,  and  made  pots  and  kettles  fly.  Beautiful 
girls  who  had  spent  lives  of  comparative  ease  took 
turns  in  waiting  on  the  tables,  and  all  worked  with 
a  spirit  of  joy  which  robbed  labour  of  its  weariness. 

By  common  consent  Norman  had  assumed  the 
general  directorship  of  the  colony,  and  by  common 
consent  the  Wolfs  were  accepted  as  his  chief 
advisers.  This  arrangement  was  formally  voted 
on  and  unanimously  approved  at  the  first  night's 
assembly  of  the  Brotherhood  in  the  big  dining- 
hall  of  the  building,  which  they  now  christened 
the  "  Mission  House  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Man." 

On  accepting  the  position  of  general  manager 
of  the  Brotherhood  the  young  leader  rose  and 
faced  the  people  with  deep  emotion. 

"Comrades,"  he  began,  in  trembling  tones,  "I 
thank  you  for  the  confidence  you  have  shown  in 
me.  I  shall  strive  to  prove  myself  worthy  of  your 
faith,  and  I  hope  within  a  year  that  we  shall  make 
such  progress  in  the  development  of  our  new  social 
system  that  I  shall  be  able  to  convey  then  the  full 
title  to  this  glorious  island  to  your  permanent 
organization." 


FOR  THE  CAUSE  125 

A  round  of  applause  greeted  this  announce- 
ment. 

*'I  'm  sure  our  preliminary  work  will  be  com- 
pleted within  a  single  year.  I  am  not  a  man  of 
many  words,  but  I  hope  to  prove  myself  a  man 
of  deeds.  I  shall  consult  you  in  every  important 
step  to  be  taken,  and  for  this  purpose  the  General 
Assembly  of  the  Brotherhood  will  be  held  in 
this  hall  every  Friday  evening.  On  Monday 
evening  a  ball  will  be  given  for'  the  pleasure 
of  our  young  people,  and  every  Wednesday 
evening  a  social  reception.  Let  us  make  these 
three  evenings  the  source  of  inspiration  for  our 
daily  tasks.'* 

Norman  closed  his  brief  speech  in  a  burst  of 
genuine  enthusiasm.  Scores  of  young  men  and 
women  crowded  to  the  platform  and  grasped  his 
hand. 

When  the  last  echoes  of  the  evening's  celebra- 
tion had  died  away,  Catherine  led  Barbara  into 
her  room. 

Wolf  sat  quietly  smoking  by  the  window. 

"What  on  earth's  the  matter.^ "the  girl  asked. 
"You  drag  me  to  your  room  half  dressed,  in  the 
dead  of  night,  and  speak  in  whispers.  I  thought 
we  'd  done  with  the  dark  and  scheming  ways  of 
the  world." 

"And  so  we  have,  my  child,"  laughed  Wolf, 


126  COMRADES 

His  cold  gray  eyes  lighted  with  sudden  warmth 
as  they  rested  on  Barbara's  dainty  little  figure. 
Its  exquisite  lines  could  be  plainly  see  through 
the  silk  kimono  as  she  walked  with  languid  grace 
and  threw  the  mass  of  dishevelled  curls  back 
from  her  shoulders. 

"Sit  down,  dear,"  Catherine  said,  with  a  smile. 
*'We  have  something  of  the  utmost  importance 
to  say  to  you." 

"I  am  to  go  abroad  as  an  ambassador  to  some 
foreign  court.     Don't  say  that  —  I  like  it  here." 

"No.  We  are  going  to  propose  that  you 
establish   a   court   here,"    Wolf   interrupted. 

"Establish  a  court!"  Barbara  exclaimed. 
"How    romantic!" 

"In  short,  my  child,  it  *s  absolutely  necessary 
for  you  to  become,  not  merely  the  power  behind 
the  throne  with  our  young  Comrade  Chief, 
you  must  assume  the  throne  itself." 

"But  how?"  the  girl  asked. 

"As  if  you  didn't  know!" 

"I  honestly  don't.  My  eloquence  is  of  little 
use  here.  We  are  all  persuaded.  Besides,  our 
Comrade  Chief  has  acquired  the  habit  of  thinking 
for  himself." 

"Just  so,"  observed  Wolf.  "And  we  want 
you  to  do  his  thinking  for  him." 

"What    do   you    mean,   Catherine.?"   Barbara 


FOR  THE  CAUSE  127 

asked,  her  brow  suddenly  clouding,  as  she  looked 
straight  into  her  foster-mother's  eyes. 

*'That  you  must  win  young  Worth." 

"Deliberately  set  out  to  make  him  love  me?" 
the  girl  exclaimed  with  scorn.  "  I  '11  do  nothing 
of  the  kind." 

"You  must,  my  dear,"  Wolf  pleaded  earnestly. 
*'  It 's  all  for  the  Cause.  It 's  in  this  boy's  power 
to  make  or  wreck  this  great  enterprise/;  We 
have  a  kingdom  here  whose  wealth  and  power 
may  become  the  wonder  of  the  world.  It  may 
be  wrecked  by  the  whim  of  one  man.  A  thousand 
difficulties  must  be  faced  before  we  can  have 
smooth  sailing.  The  one  thing  above  all  to  be 
done  is  to  secure  from  young  Worth  the  deed  to 
this  island.  He  must  be  convinced  of  the  success 
of  the  scheme,  and  he  must  be  convinced  before 
he  faces  some  of  the  most  serious  problems  that 
are  sure  to  arise  — -  problems  which  will  demand 
a  strong  arm  and  a  cool,  clear  head  to  handle. 
The  boy  means  well,  but  he  can  never  meet  these 
issues.  Win  his  love  and  everything  will  be  easy. 
Slowly  and  patiently  I  will  perfect  the  organization 
we  must  have  to  succeed." 

"  I  fail  to  see  the  necessity  of  such  a  shameless 
act  on  my  part.  No  man  here  is  so  enthusiastic 
as  our  young  leader.  He  is  sure  to  make  the 
deed.     You  heard  his  promise  to-night." 


128  COMRADES 

"He  intends  to  do  it,  I  grant,"  Catherine 
argued.  "  But  what  Herman  and  I  clearly  see 
is  that  1  i  will  sooner  or  later  be  overwhelmed  with 
difficult  es.  He  may  quit  in  disgust  at  the  very 
moment  when  a  strong  policy  could  save  the 
Cause.  We  want  to  be  sure.  He  is  a  new 
convert.  His  enthusiasm  is  now  at  white  heat. 
We  are  afraid  of  what  may  happen  when  it  cools." 

"With  your  great  brown  eyes  looking  into  his," 
Wolf  broke  in,  "and  your  little  hand  in  his,  it 
can't  cool!" 

"I  don't  think  he  cares  for  me  in  that  way  at 
all,"  the  girl  protested.  "He  has  held  himself 
quite  aloof  from  me  of  late." 

"All  the  more  reason  why  your  woman's  pride 
should  be  piqued  to  make  the  conquest,"  urged 
Wolf. 

"I  have  no  such  vulgar  ambitions,"  was  the 
short  answer. 

"Of  course  you  haven't,  child,"  Wolf  said 
in  serious  tones.  "We  understand  that.  But  we 
ask  this  of  you  as  a  brave  little  soldier  of  the 
Cause.  It 's  the  one  big,  brave  thing  you  can 
do." 

"I  might  have  to  let  him  kiss  me,"  she  said, 
with  a  frown. 

"Well,  he's  a  handsome  youngster  —  it 
would  n't   poison   you,"   laughed    Catherine. 


FOR  THE  CAUSE  129 

"I  hate  it!  I  think  I  hate  every  man  on  earth 
sometimes,"  she  answered. 

Wolf  laughed  and  looked  at  her  with  quiet 
intensity. 

"Come,  dear,  you  can  do  this  foL  the  Cause 
we  both  love,"  Catherine  urged. 

**I  might  have  to  let  him  put  his  arm  around 
me ." 

Catherine  seized  her  hand,  looked  at  her 
steadily  for  a  moment,  and  slowly  said: 

"The  woman  who  would  not  give  both  her 
body  and  her  soul  for  the  Cause  of  Humanity, 
if  called  on  to  make  the  sacrifice,  is  not  worthy  to 
live  in  the  big  world  of  which  we  've  dreamed." 

Barbara's  face  flushed  and  her  eyes  sparkled. 

"You  believe  this?"  she  asked,  sternly. 

"With  all  my  soul,"  was  the  fierce  answer. 

Barbara  hesitated  a  moment,  and  firmly  said; 

"Then  I'll  do  it!" 


CHAPTER  XVI 

BARBARA    CHOOSES    A    PROFESSION 

WHEN  Norman  came  down  to  the  office  next 
morning,  the  clerk  handed  him  a  note. 
A  glance  at  the  smooth,  perfect  handwriting 
told  him  at  once  it  was  from  Barbara.  He 
opened  it  with  a  smile  of  pleasant  surprise  and 
read  with  increasing  astonishment: 

"You  are  to  take  breakfast  with  me  this  morn- 
ing in  the  rose  bower  of  the  floral  court. 
"  By  order  of 

"  Barbara  Bozenta, 
"  Secretary  to  the  General  Manager^ 

Norman  found  her  alone,  seated  beside  a  little 
table  in  the  bower,  her  face  wreathed  in  mis- 
chievous smiles. 

She  rose  and  extended  her  hand: 

"Permit  me  to  introduce  you  to  your  new 
secretary." 

"I  assure  you  my  delight  is  only  equalled  by 
my  surprise,"  he  answered,  with  boyish  banter. 

"Yes,  I  thought  it  best  to  take  you  by  surprise. 
Now  that  it 's  all  settled,  I  trust  we  will  get  on 

130 


BARBARA  CHOOSES  A  PROFESSION  131 

well."  She  looked  at  him  with  demure  and 
charming  impudence. 

Norman  burst  into  laughter. 

"I'm  sure  we  will!"  he  answered.  "All  I 
require  is  industry,  patience,  wisdom,  tact,  knowl- 
edge, sacrifice,  absolute  obedience,  and  a  joyous 
desire  to  assume  full  responsibility  for  my 
mistakes!" 

"All  of  which  will  come  to  me,"  she  responded, 
with  mock  gravity.     "Permit  me!" 

She  led  him  to  the  chair  she  had  placed  beside 
the  table,  and  poured  a  cup  of  coffee  for  him. 

Norman  watched  her  with  keen  enjoyment. 
"I  've  never  seen  you  in  this  mood  before,"  he 
said,  quietly. 

"You  like  it.?" 

"Beyond  words!  I'm  afraid  I'll  wake  up 
directly  and  find  I  'm  dreaming.  I  'm  sure 
now,  when  I  look  into  your  eyes,  sparkling  with 
fun,  that  you  are  a  flower  nymph,  and  that  your 
home  has  always  been  a  rose  bower  on  the  sunny 
slope  of  a  southern  hillside." 

"Perhaps  I'm  just  teasing  you.  Perhaps 
I  won't  work,"  she  said,  glancing  at  him  from 
the  corners  of  her  brown  eyes. 

"Then  you  '11  find  it  a  serious  joke,"  he 
answered,  firmly.  "  Resignations  are  not  in  order. 
You   have   chosen   your   profession.     As  general 


132  COMRADES 

manager  I  have  given  my  approval.  That  settles 
it,  does  n't  it  ?'* 

*'  If  you  are  pleased,  yes,"  she  answered, 
gravely. 

*'I  am  more  than  pleased.  I've  been  afraid 
to  ask  you  to  do  this  work  for  me  —  though  I  've 
had  it  in  mind." 

"Why  afraid?" 

"I  don't. know.  I  somehow  got  the  impression 
lately  that  you  did  n't  like  me  personally." 

"How  could  you  think  such  a  thing!"  she 
protested. 

"Just  a  vague  impression  —  caught,  perhaps, 
from  little  gestures  you  sometimes  made,  little 
frowns  that  sometimes  came  to  your  brow,  little 
flashes  of  hostility  from  your  eyes." 

"I  didn't  mean  it,  comrade!"  she  said, 
demurely,  while  her  eyes  danced  and  her  mouth 
twitched  playfully. 

"And  you  've  fully  weighed  the  cost  ?" 

"Fully." 

"You  know  that  you  will  be  forced  to  spend 
most  of  your  time  in  my  office  V 

"1  '11  try  to  endure  it,"  she  laughed. 

"Without  a  frown  or  a  hostile  look?" 

"Unless  you   provoke   it." 

Norman  ate  in  silence  for  five  minutes,  listening 
to  Barbara's  girlish  chatter  while  she  bubbled  over 


BARBARA  CHOOSES  A  PROFESSION  133 

with  the  spirit  of  pure  joy.  Her  whole  being 
radiated  fun  and  laughter  as  the  sun  pours  forth 
heat  and  light.  He  wondered  where  this  magic 
secret  of  joyous  womanhood  had  been  hidden  in 
the  past. 

"What  a  revelation  you  've  been  to  me  this 
morning,"  he  said,  musingly,  as  he  rose  from  the 
table. 

**How.?"  she  asked. 

"  I  thought  you  were  all  seriousness  and  tragedy, 
eloquence  and  pathos.*' 

"We  're  in  paradise  now.  The  shadows  have 
lifted." 

"And  I  find  you  a  little  ray  of  dancing  sunlight." 

"So  every  girl  would  be  if  she  had  the  chance.'* 

"And  we  're  going  to  give  them  the  chance  here, 
little  comrade!"  he  cried,  with  enthusiasm. 

"I'll  help  you!"  she  earnestly  responded,  ex- 
tending her  hand  with  a  tender  look  into  the  depth 
of  Norman's  soul. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

A  CALL  FOR  HEROES 

THE  first  business  before  the  Assembly  of  the 
Brotherhood  was  the  permanent  assignment 
of  work.  The  enthusiasm  which  swept  the  Social- 
ists through  the  first  week  of  joyous  life  could  not 
last.  No  one  expected  it.  The  novelty  of  their 
surroundings,  the  surprise  and  elation  of  every  one 
over  the  beauty  and  richness  of  their  newly 
acquired  empire,  carried  the  pioneers  over  the 
opening  days  as  in  a  dream.  It  all  seemed  like 
a  great  picnic  —  like  the  long-hoped-for  holidays 
in  life  of  which  they  had  dreamed  and  never 
realized,  yet  which  somehow  had  come  to  pass. 

But  the  time  was  at  hand  to  face  the  first  big, 
sober  reality  of  the  new  social  system.  The  dining- 
hall  was  packed.  Every  member  of  the  Brother- 
hood was  present. 

The  orchestra  played  a  lively  air  in  a  vain  effort 
to  revive  the  spirit  of  festivity  with  which  every 
meeting  had  hitherto  buzzed. 

But  an  evil  spirit  had  entered  the  Garden  of 
Eden,  and  joy  had  fled.  Over  every  heart  hovered 
a  brood  of  solemn  questions.     What  will  be  my 

134 


A  CALL  FOR  HEROES  135 

lot  ?  Will  I  be  allowed  to  choose  my  work  ?  Or 
will  they  tell  me  what  to  do  ?  Will  it  be  dirty  and 
disagreeable,  or  pleasant  and  inspiring  ? 

Norman  sat  in  his  chair  of  state  as  presiding 
officer,  bending  over  a  mass  of  papers  which 
Barbara  had  spread  before  him.  She  leaned  close, 
and  a  stray  hair  from  one  of  her  brown  curls 
touched  his  forehead.  He  trembled  and  stared 
blankly  at  the  papers,  seeing  only  a  beautiful  face. 

"You  understand?"  she  asked.  "I  Ve  placed 
under  each  department  the  number  of  workers 
needed." 

**Yes,  yes,  I  understand!"  he  repeated,  looking 
at  her,  blankly. 

*'  I  don't  believe  you  've  heard  a  word  I  've 
spoken  to  you,"  she  said,  reproachfully. 

He  was  about  to  answer  when  the  music  stopped. 
Norman  lifted  his  head  with  a  start,  rose  quickly 
and  faced  the  crowd. 

"Comrades,"  be  began,  "the  time  has  come 
for  us  to  make  good  our  faith  in  one  another.  You 
have  proven  yourselves  brave  and  faithful  in  our 
struggle  with  the  infamies  of  the  system  of  capital- 
ism. We  call  now  for  the  heroes  and  heroines  of 
actual  work.  We  are  entering,  under  the  most 
favourable  auspices,  on  the  most  important  experi- 
ment yet  made  in  the  social  history  of  the  world. 
We  are  going  to  prove  that  mankind  is  one  vast 


^36  COMRADES 

brotherhood  —  that  love,  not  greed,  can  rule  this 
earth. 

"In  our  temporary  organization  we  wish  to 
outline  the  forms  on  which  we  will  later  found  the 
permament  State  of  Ventura.  At  present  we  will 
organize  four  departments  —  Production,  Distri- 
bution, Domestic  Service,  and  Education. 

**  I  am  going  to  ask  each  one  of  you,  by  secret 
ballot,  to  choose  your  permanent  work.** 

A  cheer  shook  the  building. 

Norman  flushed  with  pleasure,  and  continued 
quickly: 

*'It  shall  be  my  constant  aim  as  your  general 
manager  under  our  temporary  organization  to 
give  you  the  widest  personal  liberty  consistent  with 
the  success  of  our  enterprise. 

"  Before  preparing  your  ballots  for  choice  of  your 
work,  I  shall  have  to  ask  that  each  head  of  a  family 
and  each  unmarried  man  and  woman  first  pass  by 
the  platform  and  draw  lots  for  the  assignment 
of  your  rooms  in  our  Mission  House.  There  have 
been  some  complaints  already,  I  'm  sorry  to  say, 
on  this  question.  Some  wish  to  live  on  the  first 
floor,  some  on  the  top,  but  everybody  wants  to  live 
on  the  south  side  of  the  house  with  the  glorious 
views  of  the  sea,  and  nobody  wishes  to  live  on  the 
north  side.  There  is  but  one  way  to  determine  such 
a  question  in  our  ideal  state.     Fate  must  decide. 


A  CALL  FOR  HEROES  137 

•'The  numbers  of  each  room  and  suite  are  In 
the  basket.  The  bachelors  will  be  assigned  to  the 
right  wing,  the  girls  to  the  left  wing,  the  married 
ones  to  the  centre  of  the  building. 

"Please  form  in  line  on  the  left  and  march 
toward  the  right  aisle  past  the  platform." 

"Mr.  Chairman!"  called  Roland  Adair,  the 
Bard  of  Ramcat. 

Norman  rapped  for  silence,  and  those  who  had 
risen  resumed  their  seats. 

*'I  protest,  Mr.  Chairman,"  continued  the  poet, 
*'  against  the  cruelty  of  such  a  process.  The  weak 
and  the  aged  should  be  given  their  choice  first." 

"We  left  them  all  behind  us!"  Norman  cried, 
with  a  wave  of  his  hand.  "There  are  no  weak 
and  aged  in  this  crowd.  We  belong  to  the  elect. 
We  have  found  the  secret  of  eternal  youth." 

Another  cheer  swept  the  crowd,  the  poet  sub- 
sided with  a  sigh  of  contempt,  and  the  people 
quickly  filed  past  the  platform  and  drew  their  lots 
for  permanent  rooms  in  the  building.  The  larger 
suites  had  been  subdivided,  so  that  the  entire 
pioneer  colony  of  two  thousand  found  accommoda- 
tions under  one  roof. 

When  the  crowd  had  resumed  their  seats,  and 
the  last  cry  of  triumph  over  a  successful  draw  and 
the  last  groan  of  disappointment  over  an  unlucky 
lot  had  subsided,  Norman  rose    and    made    the 


138  COMRADES 

most  momentous  announcement  the  Brotherhood 
had  yet  heard: 

*'  In  the  Department  of  Production  we  need  hod- 
carriers,  bricklayers,  carpenters,  architects,  team- 
sters, and  skilled  mechanics  for  the  foundry 
and  machine-shops,  saw-mill,  and  flour  mills. 
On  the  farm  and  orchard  we  need  ploughmen  and 
harvesters  for  grain  and  hay,  gardeners,  stablemen, 
and  ditchers. 

*'  In  our  Department  of  Domestic  Service  we  need 
cooks,  seamstresses,  washerwomen,  scrubbers 
and  cleaners,  waiters,  porters,  bell-boys,  telephone 
girls,  steamfitters,  plumbers,  chimney-sweeps, 
and  sewer  cleaners. 

"  In  the  Department  of  Education  we  need  artists 
and  artisans,  teachers,  nurses,  printers  and 
binders,  pressmen  and  compositors,  one  editor, 
scientists  and  lecturers,  missionaries,  actors, 
singers,  and  authors. 

"Now  you  each  of  you  know  what  you  can  do 
best.  Choose  the  work  in  which  you  can  render 
your  comrades  the  highest  service  of  which 
you  are  capable  and  best  advance  the  cause 
of  humanity.  Write  your  name  and  your  choice 
of  work  on  the  blanks  which  _^have  been  fur- 
nished you.'* 

The  orchestra  played  while  the  ballots  were 
being  cast  and  counted. 


A  CALL  FOR  HEROES  139 

The  chairman  at  length  rose  with  the  tabulated 
sheet  in  his  hand  and  faced  his  audience. 

"Comrades,"  he  said,  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye, 
"that  old  saying  I  '11  have  to  repeat,  *If  at  first  you 
don't  succeed,  try,  try  again!'  Beyond  the  shadow 
of  a  doubt  we  shall  have  to  try  this  election  again. 
If  I  did  n't  know  by  the  serious  look  on  your  faces 
that  you  mean  it  I  'd  say  off-hand  that  you  were 
trying  to  put  up  a  joke  on  me." 

He  paused,  and  a  painful  silence  followed. 

"Give   us   the   ballot!"   growled  the  Bard. 

Norman  looked  at  the  list  he  held,  and  in 
spite  of  himself,  as  he  caught  the  gleam  of 
mischief  in  Barbara's  eye,  burst  into  laughter 
and  sat  down. 

Wolf  ascended  the  platform,  glanced  over  the 
list  and  whispered: 

"  It  *s  a  waste  of  time.  Call  for  the  election  of  an 
executive  council  with  full  powers." 

"We'll  try  once  more,"  Norman  insisted, 
quickly  rising. 

"Comrades,  I  'm  sorry  to  say  there  is  no  election. 
We  must  proceed  to  another  ballot,  and  if  the 
industries  absolutely  necessary  to  the  existence  of 
any  society  are  not  voted  into  operation,  we  must 
then  choose  an  executive  council  with  full  power 
to  act.  I  appeal  to  your  sense  of  heroism  and  self- 
sacrifice  " 


140  COMRADES 

"Give  us  the  ballot!  Read  it!'*  thundered  the 
offended  poet. 

"Yes,  read  it!" 

"Read  it!" 

The  shouts  came  from  all  parts  of  the  hall. 
The  crowd  was  in  dead  earnest  and  could  n't  see 
the  joke. 

Once  more  the  young  chairman  raised  the 
fateful  record  of  human  frailty  before  his  eyes, 
paused,  and  then  solemnly  began: 

"In  the  first  place,  comrades,  more  than  six 
hundred  ballots  out  of  the  two  thousand  cast  are 
invalid.  They  have  been  cast  for  work  not  asked 
for.     They  must  be  thrown  out  at  once. 

**  Three  hundred  and  sixty  five  able-bodied  men 
choose  hunting  as  their  occupation.  I  grant  you 
that  game  is  plentiful  on  the  island,  but  we  can't 
spare  you,  gentlemen! 

"Two  hundred  and  thirty-five  men  want  to  fish! 
The  waters  abound  in  fish,  but  we  have  a  pound-net 
which  supplies  us  with  all  we  can  eat. 

"Thirty-two  men  and  forty-six  women  wish  to 
preach. 

"We  do  not  need  at  present  hunters,  fishermen, 
or  preachers,  and  have  not  called  for  volunteers 
in  these  departments  of  labour. 

"Three  hundred  and  fifty-six  women  wish  to 
go  on  the  stage,  and  one  hundred  and  ninety-five 


A  CALL  FOR  HEROES  141 

of  them  choose  musical  comedy  and  light  opera. 
I  think  this  includes  most  of  our  female  popu- 
lation between  the  ages  of  fourteen  and  thirty- 
five!" 

A  murmur  of  excitement  swept  the  feminine  por- 
tion of  the  audience. 

"Allow  me  to  say,"  he  went  on,  "that  the  most 
urgent  need  of  the  colony  at  this  moment  cannot  be 
met  by  organizing  a  chorus,  however  beautiful  and 
pleasing  its  performances  would  be.  We  need, 
and  we  must  have,  waitresses  and  milkmaids. 
The  chorus  can  wait,  the  cows  cannot. 

**I  asked  for  one  editor.  One  hundred  and 
seventy-five  men  and  sixty-three  women  have 
chosen  that  field.  Seventy-five  men  and  thirty- 
two  women  wish  to  be  musicians." 

"  We  have  looked  in  vain  among  the  ballots  for  a 
single  hod-carrier,  or  ploughman,  ditcher,  cook, 
seamstress,  washerman  or  washerwoman,  stable- 
man, scrubber,  or  cleaner.  The  Brotherhood 
cannot  live  a  day  without  them.  Remember, 
comrades,  we  are  to  make  the  great  experiment 
on  which  the  future  happiness  of  the  race  may 
depend.  Let  us  forget  our  selfish  preferences  and 
think  only  of  our  fellow  men.  I  call  for  heroes  of 
the  hod,  heroines  of  the  washtub  and  the  scrub- 
bing-brush and  milk-pail,  knights  of  the  pitch- 
fork, spade,  and  shovel.    Let  hunters,  fishermen. 


142  COMRADES 

preachers,  and  chorus-girls  forget  they  live  for  the 
present. 

"This  is  not  a  joke,  comrades,  though  I  have 
laughed.  It 's  one  of  the  gravest  problems  we 
must  face.  It  has  been  suggested  that  we  hire 
outside  labour  to  do  this  disagreeable  work  for  a 
generation  or  two.  The  moment  we  dare  make 
such  a  compromise  we  are  lost  forever.  We  must 
solve  this  problem  or  quit.  A  second  ballot  is 
ordered  at  once." 

Again  the  orchestra  played,  the  ushers  passed 
the  boxes,  the  vote  was  taken,  and  all  for  naught. 
Not  a  single  hero  of  the  hod  appeared.  Not 
a  single  heroine  of  the  washtub,  the  scrubbing- 
brush,  or  the  milk-pail. 

The  young  chairman's  face  was  very  grave  when 
Barbara  handed  him  the  results. 

She  bent  and  whispered: 

"Away  with  frowns  and  doubts  and  fears! 
There  's  a  better  way.  A  leader  must  lead.  Their 
business  is  to  follow." 

Norman's  face  brightened.  He  turned  to  the 
crowd,  and  in  tones  of  clear,  ringing  command 
announced: 

"Comrades,  I  had  hoped  you  could  choose  your 
work  of  your  own  accord.  The  attempt  has  failed. 
Six  divisions  of  labour,  each  of  them  absolutely 
essential  to  the  existence  of  society  in  any  form 


A  CALL  FOR  HEROES  143 

above  the  primitive  savage,  have  not  a  single  man 
or  woman  in  them." 

**  We  must  elect  an  executive  council  of  four  who 
shall  sit  as  a  court  of  last  resort  in  settling  the 
question  of  the  ability  of  each  comrade  and  the 
work  to  which  he  shall  be  assigned.  Under  our 
temporary  charter  the  general  manager  will 
preside  over  this  court  and  cast  the  deciding  vote. 
Nominations  are  in  order  for  the  other  four.  We 
want  two  men  and  two  women  in  this  council.  In 
all  our  deliberations  woman  shall  have  equal 
voice  with  man. 

The  Bard  made  a  speech  of  protest  against  the 
action  about  to  be  taken,  in  the  sacred  name  of 
liberty, 

"This  act  is  the  first  step  on  the  road  to  a 
tyranny  more  monstrous  than  any  ever  devised  by 
capitalism!"  he  shouted,  with  hands  uplifted,  his 
long  hair  flying  in  wild  disorder. 

Tom  Mooney,  an  old  miner,  who  had  met  Nor- 
man and  become  his  friend  during  a  visit  to  one  of 
his  father's  mines,  sprang  to  his  feet  and  made  a 
rush  for  the  excited  poet.  Confronting  him  a 
moment,  Tom  inquired: 

"  Kin  I  ax  ye  a  few  questions  ?" 

"Certainly.     As  many  as  you  like.'* 

"Kin  ye  cook?" 

"I  cannot." 


144  COMRADES 

*'Kmye  wash?" 

"No!" 

"Kin  ye  scrub?" 

"No,  sir." 

"Ever  swing  a  hod?" 

"I  have  not." 

"Ever  milk  a  cow?" 

"No!" 

"Are  ye  willin'  to  learn  them  things?" 

"I  did  n't  come  here  for  that  purpose." 

"Then,  what  t*  *ell  ye  kickin*  about?"  Tom 
cried,  and,  glaring  at  the  poet,  he  thundered 
fiercely: 

"Set  down!" 

The  man  of  song  was  so  disconcerted  by  this 
unexpected  onslaught,  and  by  the  roars  of 
laughter  which  greeted  Tom's  final  order,  that 
he  dropped  into  his  seat,  muttering  incoherent 
protests,  and  the  balloting  for  the  executive 
council  proceeded  at  once  amid  universal  good 
humour. 

A  dozen  names  were  proposed  as  candidates, 
and  the  four  receiving  the  highest  votes  were 
declared  duly  elected. 

The  election  resulted  in  the  choice  of  Herman 
Wolf,  Catherine,  Barbara  Bozenta,  and  Thomas 
Mooney. 

Tom  was  amazed  at  his  sudden  promotion  to 


A  CALL  FOR  HEROES  145 

high  office,  and  insisted  on  resigning  in  favour  of  a 
man  of  better  education. 

Norman  caught  his  big  horny  hand  and 
pressed    it. 

"Not  on  your  Hfe,  Tom.  You  've  made  a 
hit.  The  people  Hke  your  hard  horse-sense. 
You  will  make  a  good  judge.  Besides,  I  need 
you.  You  're  a  man  I  can  depend  on  every  day 
in  the  year." 

"I  '11  stick  ef  you  need  me,  boy  —  but  I  hain't 
fitten,  I  tell  ye." 

"I  '11  vouch  for  your  fitness  —  sit  down!" 

The  last  command  Norman  thundered  into 
Tom's  ears  in  imitation  of  his  order  to  the  poet, 
and  the  old  miner,  with  a  grin,  dropped  into  his 
seat. 

As  Norman  was  about  to  declare  the  meeting 
adjourned,  the  steward  ascended  the  platform 
and  whispered  a  message. 

The  young  leader  turned  to  the  crowd  and 
lifted  his  hand  for  silence. 

"Comrades,  a  prosaic  but  very  important 
announcement  I  have  to  make.  I  have  just  been 
informed  that  there  is  no  milk  for  supper.  The 
cows  have  been  neglected.  They  must  be  milked. 
I  call  for  a  dozen  volunteer  milkmaids  until  this 
adjustment  can  be  made.  Come,  now!  —  and 
a  dozen  young  men  to  assist  them.     Let 's  make 


146  COMRADES 

this  a  test  of  your  loyalty  to  the  cause.  All 
labour  is  equally  honourable.  Labour  is  the 
service  of  your  fellow  man.  Who  will  be  the 
first  heroine  to  fill  this  breach  in  the  walls  of  our 
defence  ?" 

Barbara  sprang  forward,  with  uplifted  head, 
laughing. 

"I  will!" 

"And  I  '11  help  you!"  Norman  cried,  with  a 
laugh.  "Who  will  join  us  now?  Come,  you 
pretty  chorus-girls!  You  would  n't  mind  if 
you  carried  these  milk-pails  on  the  stage  in  a 
play.  Well,  this  is  the  biggest  stage  you  will 
ever  appear  on,  and  all  the  millions  of  the  civilized 
woild  are  watching." 

A  pretty,  rosy-cheeked  girl  joined  Barbara. 

An  admirer  followed,  and  in  a  moment  a  dozen 
girls  and  their  escorts  had  volunteered.  They 
formed  in  line  and  marched  to  the  cow  lot  with 
Norman  and  Barbara  leading,  singing  and 
laughing  and  swinging  their  milk-pails  like  a 
crowd  of  rollicking  children. 

When  they  reached  the  pasture  where  the 
cows  were  herded,  Norman  asked  Barbara,  with 
some  misgivings: 

"  Honestly,  did  you  ever  milk  a  cow  .? " 

"Of  course  I  have,"  she  promptly  replied.  "I 
spent  two  years  on  a  farm  once.     Do  you  think 


A  CALL  FOR  HEROES  147 

I  'd  make  a  fool  of  myself  trying  before  all  these 
kids  if  I  hadn't?" 

"I  did  n't  know  but  that  you  made  a  bluff  at 
it  to  lead  the  others  on.  What  can  I  do,  for 
heaven's  sake  ?" 

Norman  looked  at  her  in  a  helpless  sort  of  way 
while  Barbara  rolled  up  her  sleeves.  For  the 
first  time  he  saw  her  beautifully  rounded  bare 
arm  to  its  full  length.  He  stood  with  open-eyed 
admiration.  Never  had  he  seen  anything  so 
white  and  round  and  soft,  so  subtly  and  seductively 
suggestive  of  tenderness   and   love. 

"For heaven's  sake, what  do  I  do  ?"  he  repeated, 
blankly. 

"Get  some  meal  in  that  bucket  for  my  cow, 
and  see  that  her  calf  don't  get  to  her  —  I  'II  do 
the  rest." 

Norman  hustled  to  the  barn  with  the  other 
boys,  got  his  bucket  of  meal,  placed  it  in  front 
of  the  cow  Barbara  had  selected,  and  stood 
watching  with  admiration  the  skill  with  which 
her  deft  little  hands  pressed  two  streams  of  white 
milk  into  the  bucket  at  her  feet. 

"Goodness,  you  're  a  wonder,"  he  cried,  ad- 
miringly. "  But  where  's  the  calf  I  'm  supposed 
to  be  watching  ?" 

"I  think  that's  the  one  standing  close  to  the 
gate  in  the  next  lot  watching  me  with  envy.     The 


148  COMRADES 

first  time  the  gate  's  opened  he  '11  jump  through 
if  he  gets  half  a  chance  —  so  look  out!" 

"I  '11  watch  him,"  Norman  promised,  without 
lifting  his  eyes  from  the  rhythmic  movement  of 
the  bare  white  arms. 

He  had  scarcely  spoken  when  a  careless  boy 
swung  the  gate  wide  open,  and  the  lusty  calf, 
whose  soft  eyes  had  been  watching  Barbara 
through  the  fence,  made  a  break  for  his  mother. 
In  a  swift,  silent  rush  he  planted  one  foot  in 
Barbara's  milk-pail,  knocked  her  over  with  the 
other,  switched  his  tail,  and  fell  to  work  on  his 
own  account  without  further  concern.  It  was 
all  done  so  suddenly  it  took  Norman's  breath. 
He  sprang  to  Barbara's  side  and  helped  her  to 
her  feet. 

Norman  grabbed  the  calf  by  the  ear  with  one 
hand  and  by  the  tail  with  the  other,  and  started 
toward  the  gate. 

The  animal  suddenly  ducked  his  head,  plunged 
forward,  jerked  Norman  to  his  knees,  and  dragged 
him  ten  yards  before  he  could  regain  his  feet.  The 
young  leader  rose,  tightened  his  grip,  and  started 
with  a  rush  toward  the  gate,  but  the  calf  swerved 
in  time  to  avoid  it,  gaining  speed  with  each  step, 
and  started  off  with  his  escort  in  a  mad  race 
around  the  lot,  galloping  at  a  terrific  speed,  bel- 
lowing and  snorting  at  every  jump. 


A  CALL  FOR  HEROES  149 

The  others  stopped  their  work  to  laugh  and 
cheer  as  round  and  round  the  maddened  little 
brute  flew  with  the  tall,  heroic  leader  galloping 
by  his  side. 

Norman  had  no  time  to  call  for  help.  He 
could  n't  let  go  and  he  could  n't  stop  the  calf. 

As  he  madethe  second  round  of  the  lot,  upsetting 
buckets,  smashing  milk-pails,  and  stampeding 
peaceful  cows,  a  boy  yelled  through  the  roars  of 
laughter: 

"Twist  his  tail!  Twist  his  tail  an'  he  '11  go  the 
way  you  want  him!" 

Norman  misunderstood  the  order,  loosened 
the  head  and  grabbed  the  tail  with  both  hands. 
With  a  loud  bellow  the  calf  plunged  into  a  wilder 
race  around  the  lot,  dragging  his  tormentor  now 
with  regular,  graceful  easy  jumps.  He  made 
the  rounds  twice  thus,  single  file,  amid  screams  of 
laughter,  suddenly  turned  and  plunged  headlong 
through  an  osage  hedge,  and  left  Norman  sitting 
in  a  dusty  heap  on  the  ground  among  the  thorns. 
He  rose,  brushed  his  clothes  sheepishly,  and 
looked  through  the  hedge  at  the  calf  which  had 
turned  and  stood  eyeing  him  now  with  an  expres- 
sion of  injured  innocence. 

Barbara  came  up,  wiping  the  tears  of  laughter 
from  her  eyes. 

"  I  Ve  learned  something  new, "  Norman  quietly 


150  COMRADES 

observed.  "All  labour  may  be  equally  honourable. 
It 's  not  equally  expedient.  I  wish  you  'd  look  at 
that  beast  eyeing  me  through  the  fence!  It 's  pos- 
itively uncanny.  I  believe  he  's  possessed  of  the 
devil.  I  don't  wonder  at  that  belief  of  the  ancients. 
I  've  tackled  many  a  brute  on  the  football  field 
—  but  this  is  one  on  me!" 

The  brilliant  young  leader  of  the  new  moral 
world  led  the  procession  of  milkmaids  back  to 
the  house  as  the  shadows  of  evening  fell,  a  sadder 
but  wiser  man  for  the  day's  experience. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

A'  NEW   ARISTOCRACY 

THREE  members  of  the  executive  council, 
Norman,  Barbara,  and  Tom,  began  at 
once  the  task  of  assigning  work.  The  problems 
which  immediately  faced  the  council  were  over- 
whelming, but  they  were  urgent  and  could  admit 
of  no  delay.  The  absolute  refusal  of  every 
member  of  the  Brotherhood  to  do  the  dirty  and 
disagreeable  work  brought  at  once  two  issues  to 
a  crisis.  Either  labour  must  be  voluntary  or 
involuntary.  The  people  who  did  this  work 
must  be  induced  to  agree  to  perform  it  or  they 
must  be  forced  to  do  it  by  a  superior  authority 
without  their  consent. 

They  could  only  be  led  to  choose  this  work 
by  inducements  of  an  extraordinary  nature — ■ 
the  payment  of  enormously  high  wages  and  the 
shortening  of  each  day's  work  to  a  ridiculous 
minimum. 

If  wages  were  made  unequal,  the  old  problem 
of  inequality  would  remain  unsolved.  For  equal 
wages  no  man  would  lift  his  hand. 

Confronted  by  this  dilemma  the  executive 
151 


152  COMRADES 

council  decided  at  once  to  fix  wages  on  an  unequal 
basis  rather  than  reduce  its  unwilling  members 
to  a  condition  of  involuntary  labour,  which  is 
merely  a  long  way  to  spell  slavery. 

When  this  decision  was  announced,  Roland 
Adair,  the  Bard  of  Ramcat,  once  more  lifted  his 
voice  in  solemn  protest: 

"I  denounce  this  act  in  the  name  of  every 
principle  which  has  brought  us  together,"  he 
cried,  with  solemn  warning.  "You  have  estab- 
lished a  system  far  more  infamous  than  the  unequal 
wages  of  the  old  society  where  the  law  of  the 
survival  of  the  fittest  is  the  court  of  last  resort. 
You  have  opened  the  door  of  fathomless  corruption 
by  substituting  the  whim  of  an  executive  council 
for  the  law  of  nature.  It  is  the  beginning  of  jeal- 
ousy, strife,  favouritism,  jobbery,  and  injustice. " 

"Then  what's  a  better  way.?"  Old  Tom 
asked,  with  a  sneer. 

"It's  your  business  to  find  a  better  way," 
cried  the  man  of  visions. 

Tom  glared  at  the  poet  with  a  look  of  fury  and 
Norman  whispered  to  the  old  miner: 

"Remember,  Tom,  you  're  sitting  as  a  judge  in 
the  Supreme  Court  of  State!" 

"Can't  help  it.  I  never  did  have  no  use  for 
a  fool.  Ef  he  can't  tell  us  a  better  way,  let  'im 
shet  up." 


A  NEW  ARISTOCRACY  153 

Barbara  pressed  Tom's  arm,  and  he  subsided. 

The  court  at  once  entered  into  the  question  of 
wages  for  domestic  service. 

It  had  been  agreed,  at  the  suggestion  of  the 
Wolfs,  that  they  should  spend  their  time  in  quietly 
investigating  the  qualifications  of  each  member 
of  the  Brotherhood  for  the  work  to  be  assigned, 
and  make  their  reports  in  secret  to  the  majority 
of  the  court,  which  should  sit  continuously  until 
all  had  been  decided. 

Neither  Norman,  Barbara,  nor  the  old  miner 
suspected  for  a  moment  the  deeper  motive  which 
Wolf  concealed  behind  this  withdrawal  from  the 
decision  of  these  cases.  They  found  out  in  a 
very  startling  way  later. 

The  chief  cook  demanded  a  hundred  dollars 
a  month. 

Old  Tom  snorted  with  contempt.  Norman 
smiled  and  spoke  kindly: 

"Remember,  Louis,  you  only  received  $'j^ 
a  month  in  San  Francisco.  Here  the  Brother- 
hood provides  every  man  with  his  food,  his  clothes, 
and  his  house.  Wages  are  merely  the  inducement 
used  to  satisfy  each  individual  that  labour  may 
still  be  done  by  free  contract,  not  by  force." 

"Well,  it  '11  take  a  hundred  a  month  to  satisfy 
me,"  was  the  stolid  reply.  "I  did  n't  come  here 
to  cook.     I  could  do  that  In  the  old  hell  we  lived 


154  COMRADES 

in.  I  came  here  to  do  better  and  bigger  things. 
I  can  do  them,  too '* 

"  But  we  've  fixed  the  salary  of  the  general 
manager  at  only  seventy-five  dollars  a  month, 
and  you  demand  a  hundred  ?" 

"I  do,  and  if  the  general  manager  prefers  my 
job,  I  '11  trade  with  you  and  guarantee  to  do  your 
work  better  than  It 's  being  done." 

"Yes,  you  will!'*  old  Tom  growled,  as  he  leaned 
over  Barbara  and  whispered  to  Norman. 

"Make  it  thirty  dollars  a  month,  and  if  he  don't 
go  to  work  —  leave  him  to  me,  I  '11  beat  him  till 
he  does  it." 

"No,  we  can't  manage  it  that  way,  Tom.  We 
must  try  to  satisfy  him." 

"Hit 's  a  hold-up,  I  tell  ye  —  highway  robbery 
—  the  triflin'  son  of  a  gun!  Don't  you  say  so, 
miss.''"  Tom  appealed  earnestly  to  Barbara. 

"We  must  have  cooks,  Tom  —  and  we  want 
everybody  to  be  happy." 

"Make  him  cook,  make  him  —  that's  his 
business  —  I  'd  do  it  if  I  knowed  how.  He  's 
got  to  take  what  we  give  'im.  He  can't  git  off 
this  island.  He  enlisted  for  five  years.  If  he 
deserts,  court-martial  and  shoot  him." 

In  spite  of  old  Tom's  bitter  protest,  Norman 
and  Barbara  succeeded  in  persuading  the  chief 
cook   to    accept    eighty-five   dollars    a    month  — 


A  NEW  ARISTOCRACY  155 

an  advance  of  ten  dollars  over  the  highest  wages 
he  had  ever  received  before. 

When  the  eighteen  assistant  cooks  lined  up  for 
the  settlement  of  their  wages  a  new  problem  of 
unexpected  proportions  was  presented.  They 
had  listened  attentively  to  the  case  of  the  chef, 
and  their  chosen  orator  presented  his  argument 
in  brief  but  emphatic  words: 

"We  demand  the  exact  wages  you  have  voted 
the   chef." 

"Well,  what  do  ye  think  er  that?"  old 
Tom  groaned  to  Norman.  "Hit's  jist  like  I 
told  ye.     Hit 's  a  hold-up." 

"We  must  persuade  them,  Tom,"  the  young 
leader  replied. 

"  Let  me  persuade  'em ! "  the  old  miner  pleaded. 

"How.?"  Barbara  asked,  with  a  twinkle  in  her 
brown   eyes. 

"  I  '11  line  'em  up  agin  that  wall  and  trim  their 
hair  with  my  six-shooter.  I  won't  hurt  'em. 
But  when  I  finish  the  job  I  '11  guarantee  they  '11 
do  what  I  tell  'em  without  any  back  talk.  You 
folks  take  a  walk  and  make  me  Chief  Justice  fer 
an  hour,  and  when  you  come  back  we  '11  have 
peace  and  plenty.  Jest  try  it  now,  and  don't  you 
butt  in.     Let  me  persuade  'em!" 

Norman  shook  his  head. 

"  Keep  still,  Tom !    We  must  reason  with  them." 


156  COMRADES 

*' Ye  're  wastin'  yer  breath,"  the  miner  drawled 
in  disgust. 

"Don't  you  think,  comrades,"  Norman  began, 
in  persuasive  tones,  "that  your  demands  are  rather 
high?" 

"Certainly  not,"  was  the  prompt  reply.  "We 
come  here  to  get  equal  rights.  We  don't  want 
to  cook.  I  'm  a  born  actor,  myself.  I  expected 
to  play  in  Shakespeare  when  I  joined  the  Brother- 
hood. Anybody  that  wants  this  job  can  have  it. 
If  we  do  your  hot,  dirty,  disgusting,  disagreeable 
work  while  the  others  play  in  the  shade  we  are 
going  to  get  something  for  it." 

"Even  so,"  the  young  leader  responded,  "is 
it  fair  that  an  assistant  cook  should  receive  equal 
wages  with  the  chef?" 

"And  why  not?  Labour  creates  all  value. 
The  chef's  a  fakir.  We  do  all  the  work.  He 
never  lifts  his  hand  to  a  pot  or  pan.  He  struts 
and  loafs  through  the  kitchen  and  lords  it  over 
the  men.  Let  him  try  to  run  the  kitchen  without 
us,  and  see  how  much  you  get  to  eat!  We  stand 
on  the  equal  rights  of  man!" 

"But  my  dear  comrade '* 

"Don't  use  them  words,"  old  Tom  pleaded, 
"jest  let  me  make  a  few  remarks " 

Barbara  pinched  Tom's  arm  and  he  subsided. 

"Can't  you  see,"  Norman  went  on,  "that  we 


A  NEW  ARISTOCRACY  157 

are  paying  the  chef  for  his  directive  ability,  for  his 
inventive  genius  in  creating  new  dishes  and 
making  old  ones  more  delicious  ?  You  but  execute 
his  orders." 

"We  stand  square  on  our  principles.  Labour 
creates  all  values.  The  chef  never  works.  We 
make  every  dish  that  goes  to  the  table.  If  it  has 
any  value  we  make  it.     We  demand  our  rights ! " 

The  court  agreed  on  fifty  dollars  a  month,  and 
the  men  refused  to  consider  it. 

"We  prefer  to  work  in  the  fields,  the  foundry, 
the  machine-shop,  the  mills,  the  forests,  anywhere 
you  like  except  the  kitchen.  Let  the  chef  do  your 
work.     Good  day!" 

They  turned  and  marched  out  in  a  body  and 
sat  down  in  the  sunshine. 

In  vain  Norman  argued  and  pleaded.  They 
stood  their  ground  with  sullen  determination. 

A  final  clincher  which  the  young  leader  could  not 
evade  always  ended  the  argument.  The  spokes- 
man came  back  to  it  with  dogged  persistence: 

"What  did  you  mean,  then,  when  you  Ve 
been  drumming  into  our  ears  that  labour  creates 
all  value  ?     We  do  all  the  work,  don't  we } " 

The  upshot  of  it  was  the  eighteen  assistant 
cooks  marched  back  into  jthe  h.^11,  stood  before 
the  judges,  and  all  were  granted  equal  wages 
with  the  chef. 


158  COMRADES 

Whereupon  the  chef  sprang  to  his  feet  and  faced 
the  court  with  blazing  eyes. 

"You  grant  these  chumps  —  these  idiots — 
wages  equal  to  mine  ?  Not  one  of  them  has  brains 
enough  to  cook  an  egg  if  I  did  n't  tell  him  how. 
Their  wages  equal  to  mine.     I  resign!'* 

Tom  spoke  vigorously: 

"Now  will  ye  leave  him  to  me  ?" 

Norman  and  Barbara  looked  at  each  other  in 
angry  and  helpless  amazement. 

The  old  miner  leaped  to  his  feet,  made  his  way 
down  from  the  platform,  and  with  two  swift  strides 
reached  the  chef.  He  leaned  close  and  whispered 
something  in  the  rebel's  ear.  There  was  a  moment's 
hesitation  and  the  chef  turned,  signalled  to  his 
assistants,  and  amid  cheers  marched  to  the  kitchen. 

Tom  resumed  his  seat  beside  Barbara  with  a 
smile,  quietly  saying: 

"That's  the  way  to  do  business,  ladies  and 
gentlemen!" 

"What  did  you  say  to  him  ?"  Barbara  asked. 

"Oh,  nothin'  much,"  was  the  careless  answer. 

"I  hope  you  didn't  threaten  him,  Tom?" 
Norman  asked  with  some  misgiving. 

"Na  —  I  did  n't  threaten  him.  I  spoke  quiet 
and  peaceable." 

"But  what  did  you  tell  him  ?"  the  young  leader 
persisted. 


A  NEW  ARISTOCRACY  159 

*'I  jest  told  him  I  'd  give  him  two  minutes 
ter  git  back  ter  the  kitchen  or  I  'd  blow  his 
head  off!" 

"I  'm  afraid  our  table  will  feel  the  effects  of 
that  remark,  Tom,"  Barbara  said,  doubtfully. 

Next  to  the  question  of  cooks  the  most  urgent 
issue  to  be  settled  was  the  case  of  the  scrubbers, 
cleaners,  and  drainmen.  The  women  who  had 
been  assigned  to  the  tasks  of  scrubbing  the  floors, 
washing  the  windows  and  dishes,  had  watched  the 
triumphs  of  the  cooks  with  keen  appreciation  of 
their  own  power.  It  was  easy  to  see  that  the  more 
disagreeable  and  disgusting  the  character  of  the 
work,  the  more  extravagant  the  demands  which 
could  be  made  and  enforced.  The  scrubbers  and 
dishwashers  boldy  demanded  one  hundred  dollars 
a  month  and  six  hours  for  a  working  day,  and 
refused  with  sullen  determination  to  argue  the 
question. 

To  Barbara's  mild  and  gentle  protest  their 
answer  was  complete  and  stunning: 

"You  have  assigned  us  this  dirty  job.  Do 
you  want  it  at  any  price  .f*"  asked  their  orator. 
"I  '11  take  yours  without  wages  and  jump  at  the 
chance." 

Tom  lest  all  interest  in  the  proceedings  and  drew 
himself  up  in  a  knot  in  his  chair.  Now  and  then 
a   growl   came  from  the   depths   of  his   throat. 


i6o  COMRADES 

Once  he  was  heard  to  distinctly  articulate: 

"This  makes  me  tired." 

The  court  begged  and  pleaded,  cajoled,  argued 
in  vain  with  the  stubborn  scrubwomen.  Not  an 
inch  would  they  move  in  their  demands.  The 
floors  were  becoming  unspeakably  filthy.  They 
had  not  been  scrubbed  since  the  arrival  of  the 
colony. 

Norman  turned  to  Barbara. 

"  Put  the  question  solemnly  to  ourselves  —  we 
don't  want  the  job  at  any  price,  do  we  ? " 

"I  could  n't  do  it!"  she  admitted,  frankly. 
*'  Then  what  's  the  use  ^     We  must  be  fair.     It  *s 
worth  what  they  ask." 

The  court  granted  the  demands  and  the  scrub- 
women and  dishwashers  marched  to  the  kitchen 
and  once  more  the  chef  tore  his  hair  and  cursed  the 
fate  which  brought  him  to  such  disgrace  as  to 
work  with  stupid  subordinates  at  equal  wages  and 
gaze  on  dishwashers  and  scrubwomen  whose  wages 
exceeded  his  own. 

The  climax  of  all  demands  was  reached  when 
the  drainman  demanded  a  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  a  month  and  four  hours  for  each  work- 
ing day. 

Norman  looked  at  him  in  dumb  confusion.  He 
knew  what  he  was  going  to  say  before  he  opened  his 
mouth  and  he  had  no  answer. 


A  NEW  ARISTOCRACY  i6i 

The  drainman  bowed  low  in  mock  humility, 
but  the  proud  wave  of  his  hand  belied  his  words. 

"My  calling  was  a  humble  one  in  the  old  world, 
Comrade  Judges,"  he  said.  "I  came  here  to 
climb  mountain  heights  and  find  my  way  among 
the  stars.  You  have  sent  me  back  to  the  sewers. 
I  always  felt  that  I  had  missed  my  true  calling. 
I  've  always  wanted  to  be  a  poet " 

The  Bard  shook  his  mane  and  groaned. 

*'I  don't  want  this  job  at  any  price.  But  the 
sewers  are  choked.  They  have  not  been  cleaned 
for  two  years.  It  must  be  done.  I  've  named  my 
price.  I  '11  gladly  yield  to  any  man  who  envies 
my  luck.  If  such  a  man  is  here  let  him  speak  — 
or  forever  hereafter  hold  his  peace. " 

With  a  grandiloquent  gesture  the  drainman 
swept  the  crowd  with  his  eye,  but  no  man 
responded. 

The  court  granted  his  demand. 

The  Bard  leaped  once  more  to  his  feet  and 
entered  his  protest.  This  time  old  Tom  listened 
with  interest.  His  concluding  sentence  rang  with 
bitter  irony: 

"Against  these  absurd  decisions  I  lift  my  voice 
once  more  in  solemn  protest.  We  came  to  this 
charmed  island  to  abolish  all  class  distinctions. 
You  have  destroyed  the  old  classes  based  on 
culture,  achievement,  genius,  wealth,  and  power. 


i62  COMRADES 

You  have  created  a  new  aristocracy  on  whose 
shield  is  emblazoned  —  a  dish-rag  and  scrubbing- 
brush  encircled  by  a  sewer  pipe!  I  make  my 
most  humble  bow  to  our  new  king  —  the 
drainman!  I  hail  the  apotheosis  of  the  scrub- 
woman!" 

"  Say,  you  give  me  a  pain  —  shut  up  "  thundered 
Tom. 

The  singer  collasped  with  a  sigh  and  the  crowd 
laughed. 

The  foreman  of  the  farm  brought  two  men  before 
the  court  and  asked  for  important  instructions. 

"Comrade  Judges,"  he  began,  "I  had  two 
men  assigned  to  me  a  week  ago  whom  I  don't  want 
and  won't  have  at  any  price.  I  return  them  to  the 
Brotherhood  with  thanks.  You  can  do  what  you 
please  with  them." 

"What's  the  matter?"  Norman  asked,  with 
some  irritation. 

The  foreman  shoved  and  kicked  a  man  in  front 
of  the  judges. 

"This  fool- " 

"You  must  not  use  such  language,  Mr.  Fore- 
man," Barbara  interrupted. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  Comrade  Judges,"  he 
apologized.  "This  coyote  I  put  on  a  mowing- 
machine  yesterday.  He  said  he  knew  how  to 
run  it.     He  broke  It  on  a  smooth  piece  of  ground 


A  NEW  ARISTOCRACY  163 

the  first  hour.  I  gave  him  another  and  he  wrecked 
it  before  noon.  It  will  take  the  labour  of  five 
men  two  days  to  repair  the  damage  he  has  done. 
I  don't  want  him  at  any  price.'* 

"What  have  you  to  say  .?"  Norman  asked  the 
accused. 

"  It  was  n*t  my  fault.     The  thing  broke  itself." 

"But  how  did  it  happen  twice  the  same  day, 
sonny?"  Tom  asked. 

*'  I  dunno.  Hit  jist  happened,"  was  the  dogged 
answer. 

"I've  another  scoundrel " 

"You  must  not  use  such  language,"  Barbara 
broke  in. 

"Again  begging  the  pardon  of  Comrade 
Judges,"  the  foreman  continued:  "This  dog 
—  he  kicked  another  slovenly  looking  lout  before 
the  judges — "tore  to  pieces  the  shoulders  of 
two  pairs  of  horses  with  careless  harnessing 
before  I  found  him  and  kicked  him  out  of  the 
stables.  Those  four  horses  can't  work  for  a 
month.  We  '11  have  to  pay  at  least  1^500  for  two 
teams  right  away  to  take  their  places,  or  lose 
a  crop  of  hay." 

Tom  glared  at  the  culprit. 

"What  did  ye  ruin  them  horses'  shoulders 
fer?" 

"  I  did  n't  know  it,"  was  the  sulking  answer. 


i64  COMRADES 

"He's  a  liar!"  cried  the  foreman.  "He  put 
the  same  collars  on  their  galled  necks  three  days 
in  succession  and  beat  them  unmercifully  when 
they  could  n't   pull  the  load." 

"What  do  you  say,  Tom  ?"  Norman  asked. 

The  old  miner  glared  at  the  last  culprit  and 
his  grim  mouth  tightened: 

"Wall,  you  kin  do  as  ye  please,  but  any  man 
that  '11  abuse  a  boss  will  commit  murder.  I  'd 
put  the  fust  one  in  the  cow  lot  to  shovellin'  com- 
post. This  one  I  'd  quietly  lynch  —  no  public 
rumpus  about  it  —  jest  take  'im  down  by  the 
beach,  hang  'im  to  one  of  them  posts  on  the  pier, 
shoot  'im  full  of  holes,  and  drop  'im  into  the  sea 
to  be  sure  he  don't  come  back  to  life." 

Norman  conferred  with  Barbara  a  moment 
and  rendered  the  decision: 

"Mr.  Foreman,  the  first  man  is  transferred 
from  the  field  machinery  to  the  compost-heap  in 
the  barnyard.  The  second  man  who  disabled 
the  horses  will  assist  in  cleaning  the  sewers. 
Their  wages  will  remain  the  same  as  before." 

A  round  of  applause  greeted  this  decision. 

The  Bard  renewed  his  attack  with  unusual 
zeal.  Standing  before  the  court  and  shaking  his 
long  hair  he  cried: 

"At  last  the  climax  of  tyranny!  Two  com- 
rades  condemned   without    a   jury    and   without 


A  NEW  ARISTOCRACY  165 

defence!  I  congratulate  you.  In  one  day  you 
have  established  an  aristocracy  of  filth  and  created 
a  penal  colony  without  a  hearing  or  appeal.  We 
are  making  progress." 

The    old     miner     grunted,     Barbara    smiled 
tenderly  at  Norman,  and  the  court  adjourned. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

SOME   TROUBLES    IN    HEAVEN 

NORMAN  found  it  necessary  for  the  execu- 
tive council  to  sit  continuously  for  the 
adjustment  of  disputes  and  the  settlement  of  new 
problems  which  arose  at  every  step  of  progress 
in  the  new  moral  world. 

He  had  condemned  the  sins  of  the  old  world 
of  capitalism  with  cocksure  certainty.  Now 
that  he  had  been  made  a  supreme  judge  with 
povv^er  to  adjust  the  rights  and  wrongs  of  his 
fellow  man,  he  was  appalled  at  the  magnitude  of 
the  task  of  substituting  an  ideal  for  the  reign  of 
natural  law  under  which  civilization  had  been 
slowly   evolved. 

There  were  two  men  in  the  Brotherhood  whom 
he  grew  early  to  hate  with  cordial,  thorough, 
murderous  hatred  —  Roland  Adair,  the  Bard  of 
Ramcat,  who  always  denounced  every  decision 
as  unjust,  and  a  tall,  hooked-nosed,  stoop- 
shouldered,  scholarly  looking  man  named  Diggs, 
who  invariably  sat  near  him  and  at  every  con- 
ceivable opportunity  asked  questions.  These 
questions  were  always  put  in  an  innocent,  friendly 

1 66 


SOME  TROUBLES  IN  HEAVEN       167 

way,  but  when  Diggs  looked  at  him  through  his 
gleaming  spectacles  Norman  always  got  the 
impression  that  an  imp  of  the  devil  had  sud- 
denly  popped   up   through   the   floor. 

The  first  day  after  the  general  assignment 
of  work  Diggs  rose  before  the  council,  adjusted 
his  glasses,  and  drew  a  piece  of  paper  from  his 
pocket.  Norman  knew  before  he  spoke  that 
the  document  bristled  with  questions.  Diggs's 
glasses  had  always  fascinated  him,  but  to-day 
they  seemed  of  unusual  thickness  and  enormous 
size,  and  their  concave  surfaces  seemed  to  flash 
light  from  a  thousand   angles. 

Diggs  adjusted  them  on  his  hook-nose  with 
deliberation  and  glanced  carefully  over  his  notes 
before   speaking. 

Norman  turned  to   Barbara  with  a  sigh. 

She  pressed  his  hand  in  silent  sympathy. 

"Don't   worry!"    she   whispered. 

Norman's  breath  quickened  as  he  answered 
the  pressure  of  the  soft,  warm  fingers  but  he 
managed  to  move  his  chair  and  break  the  effects 
of  her  spell  without  revealing  to  her  the  effort 
it  cost.  Each  hour  of  their  association  he  felt 
the  cords  he  dare  not  try  to  break  tighten  about 
his  heart.  He  determined  each  day  to  put  the 
thought  from  him.  Over  and  over  again  with 
grim  resolution  he  repeated  his  vow: 


i68  COMRADES 

"  I  '11  keep  a  clear  head.  I  've  got  to  decide 
this  issue  on  its  merits.  I  owe  it  to  my  generous 
friends  who  made  it  possible." 

He  had  avoided  her  for  the  last  few  days. 
She  guessed  the  cause  intuitively  and  knew  that 
he  was  fighting  with  desperation  to  escape  the 
net  she  was  slowly  weaving  about  him.  She 
began  to  watch  the  struggle  now  with  a  curious 
fascination  in  which  cruelty  and  tenderness  were 
equally  mixed.  The  idea  of  surrendering  her 
own  heart  had  never  once  entered  her  pretty 
head. 

Her  life  had  been  lived  in  a  strange  war  with 
human  society.  Man  had  always  appeared  to 
her  imagination  as  an  enemy.  She  had  never 
trusted  one  —  least  of  all  Wolf,  the  big,  impassive 
animal  who  had  dominated  the  life  of  her  foster- 
mother. 

With  deliberate  and  cruel  art  she  had  set  out 
to  master  the  heart  of  the  man  who  sat  by  her 
side.  The  task  was  accepted  as  part  of  her  work. 
She  had  enlisted  as  a  soldier  in  the  Cause.  She 
had  received  the  orders  from  headquarters. 
When  the  deed  was  done  she  would  turn  to  a 
greater  task.  She  had  expected  to  be  bored  by 
his  idiotic  love  making.  Now  her  curiosity  was 
beginning  to  be  piqued  by  his  silence.  She 
began    vaguely   to    wonder    each    moment   what 


SOME  TROUBLES  IN  HEAVEN        169 

kind  of  pictures  she  was  making  in  his  mind. 
Her  brown  eyes  searched  the  depths  of  his  soul 
in  a  dumb  way  that  sent  the  blood  rushing  to 
Norman's  heart,  but  each  time  he  had  eluded  her. 

He  sat  in  moody  silence  now,  giving  no  response 
to  her  words  of  cheer.  She  roused  him  from 
his  reverie  with  a  plaintive  protest. 

"What 's  the  matter  .?     Have  I,  too,  offended  ?'* 

He  turned  quickly  and  crushed  her  hand  in 
his  strong  grasp: 

"For  heaven's  sake  don't  you  get  into  the  habit 
of  asking  me  questions!  How  could  you  offend  ? 
Your  face  is  my  lighthouse  set  on  the  cliffs,  calm, 
serene,  joyful.  I  could  n't  get  through  a  day 
without  you." 

A  smiling  answer  was  just  trembling  on  her 
lips  when  Diggs  began  to  speak. 

"Now  for  the  human  interrogation  point,'* 
Barbara  laughed. 

"Comrade  Judges,"  Diggs  began,  with  guile- 
less good  humour,  "while  we  are  shaping  the 
form  of  our  ideal  State  for  its  permanent  organi- 
zation I  wish  to  submit  some  questions  which 
may  help  us  in  our  search  for  truth." 

"Questions,"  Norman  whispered,  "which  any 
fool  can  ask,  but  the  angels  of  God  can't  answer." 

"But  we  will  answer  them!"  she  flashed,  with 
defiant  courage. 


170  COMRADES 

**We  agree,"  Diggs  went  on,  *'that  society 
must  be  governed  in  some  way.  There  must  be 
rulers,  but  how  shall  we  choose  our  rulers,  and 
with  what  powers  shall  we  clothe  them  ?  We  can 
begin  to  see  that  the  head  of  our  social  system 
must  at  times  exercise  the  full  powers  of  the  State. 
Into  whose  hands  can  this  enormous  power  be 
entrusted,  and  how  shall  he  be  called  to  account  ?'* 

Diggs  paused,  and  Norman  flushed  at  this 
question,  for  he  took  it  as  a  personal  thrust.  He 
had  occasion  to  change  his  mind  later. 

"How  can  we,"  the  questioner  went  on,  "retain 
our  democratic  liberties  as  law  makers  as  we 
grow  in  numbers  ?  Now  we  can  all  meet  in  general 
assembly.  When  the  State  numbers  even  five 
thousand  this  will  not  be  possible.  Will  not  our 
politics  become  even  more  corrupt  than  the  old 
system,  seeing  how  enormous  the  power  over  the 
smallest  details  of  life  which  these  legislators 
possess  ? 

"As  our  society  grows  —  and  thousands  are 
now  clamouring  for  admission  —  how  is  wealth 
to  be  distributed .?  Who  shall  determine,  in  this 
larger  society,  who  shall  be  common  labourers, 
who  poets,  artists,  musicians,  preachers,  man- 
agers ?  Who  shall  appoint  editors .?  And  who 
shall  call  them  to  account  if  they  publish  treason 
against  the  State  ^     What  shall  be  done  with  the 


SOME  TROUBLES  IN  HEAVEN       171 

ever-increasing  number  of  the  lazy,  dishonest,  and 
criminal  members  of  the  community  ? 

"Who  shall  determine  how  much  mental  work 
is  equivalent  to  so  much  manual  labour,  seeing 
how  vast  is  the  difference  in  the  value  of  one  man's 
brain  product  over  another's  ?  How  can  men 
who  are  not  artists,  poets,  or  musicians  determine 
the  value  of  such  work  ?  Or  how  can  one  poet 
be  just  to  his  rival  if  he  be  made  the  judge  ? 
When  our  theatre  is  opened,  who  shall  select 
the  actors  ?  Who  shall  decide  whether  they  are 
incompetent  ?  Who  shall  decide  on  the  selection 
of  the  star  ?  What  shall  be  done  with  an  actor, 
for  example,  who  should  spit  in  the  face  of  a 
judge  deciding  adversely  ?  Suppose  a  man  offends 
the  judge  ?  Shall  he  be  punished  ?  If  so,  who 
shall  do  it  ? 

"How  can  we  prevent  a  man  from  losing  his 
wages  playing  poker  with  his  neighbour  if  he  does 
so  joyfully  ? 

"What  shall  be  done  with  a  man  who  works 
outside  regular  hours  and  accumulates  a  vast 
private  fortune  ?" 

"Say,  ain't  you  worked  your  jaw  overtime 
now?"  old  Tom  broke  in  rudely.  "We'll  take 
them  things  up  when  we  come  to  'em.  We  got 
somethin'  else  to  do  now  —  set  down!" 

"These  are  only  friendly  suggestions  for  thought 


172  COMRADES 

as  we  develop  our  ideal,"  Diggs  answered,  with 
smiling  good  nature,  as  he  resumed  his  seat. 

"What  makes  me  want  to  kill  that  man,"  Nor- 
man muttered  to  Barbara,"  is  the  unfailing  polite- 
ness and  unction  with  which  he  asks  those 
questions. " 

"Patience!  patience!"  was  the  low,  musical 
reply.  "These  little  things  will  all  adjust 
themselves." 

Methodist  John  pressed  to  the  front  and  poured 
out  to  the  judges  a  story  of  wrong  and  asked  for 
justice. 

"Miss  Barbara,"  he  began,  in  plaintive  tones, 
"you  was  always  good  to  me  in  the  other  world, 
but  since  we  've  got  here  even  you  don't  seem  the 
same.  Everybody  's  hard  and  cold.  They  hain't 
got  no  sympathy  here  for  a  poor  man.  In  the 
other  world  I  missed  my  caUin'  —  I  was  born  for 
the  ministry.  I  come  here  to  serve  the  Lord. 
And  now  they  make  me  work  so  hard  I  ain't  even 
got  time  to  pray.  I  ask  for  a  licence  to  preach  the 
gospel.  Just  give  me  a  chance.  They  've  put 
me  to  feedin'  hogs  and  tendin'  ter  calves.  I 
ain't  fit  for  such  work.  I  want  to  call  sinners  to 
repentance,  not  swine  to  their  swill.  I  tell  ye  I  've 
been  buncoed.  It  ain't  a  square  deal.  I  left  the 
poorhouse  to  come  with  you  to  heaven  and,  by 
gum,  I  've  landed  in  the  workhouse " 


SOME  TROUBLES  IN  HEAVEN      173 

"And  ef  yer  don't  shet  up  and  git  back  ter  yer 
work,"  Tom  thundered,  "you  Ml  land  in  the 
hospital  —  you  hear  me!" 

"I  ain't  er  talkin'  to  you,  you  cussin,  swearin', 
ungodly  son  of  the  devil,"  the  old  man  answered. 

"Come,  come,  John,"  Norman  interrupted,  as 
he  held  Tom  back.  "  We  can't  grant  your  request. 
We  are  not  ready  to  undertake  religious  work  yet." 

"Well,  God  knows  ye  need  it!"  John  muttered, 
as  the  crowd  pushed  him  away. 

At  the  door  Catherine  greeted  him  as  he  passed 
out,  whispered  encouraging  words,  and  sent  him 
back  to  his  tasks  more  cheerful.  She  had  taken 
her  stand  thus  each  day;  and,  while  Wolf  was  busy 
quietly  mingling  with  the  men  outside  getting  the 
facts  as  to  the  progress  of  each  department,  the 
tall  graceful  woman  of  soft  voice  and  madonna 
face  was  fast  becoming  the  friend  and  sympathizer 
of  each  discontented  worker.  She  had  now 
assumed  the  task  of  peacemaker  after  each  harsh 
decision  had  been  rendered,  and  did  her  work  with 
rare  skill  —  a  skill  which  promised  big  results  in 
the  dawning  State  of  Ventura. 

Uncle  Bob  Worth,  an  old  Negro,  bowed  low 
before  the  judges.  He  had  been  a  slave  of  Nor- 
man's grandfather  in  North  Carolina  and  had 
joined  the  colony  out  of  admiration  for  the  young 
leader. 


174  COMRADES 

"Marse  Norman,"  he  solemnly  began. 

"  Don't  call  me '  master,'  Bob,"  Norman  inter- 
rupted. "Remember  that  we  are  all  comrades 
here." 

"Yassah!  Yassah!  Marse  Norman,  I  try  to 
'member  dat  sah,  but  'pears  ter  me  dey  's  somefin' 
wrong  bout  dis  whole 'comrade'  business,  sah! 
I  'se  er  'comrade'  now  but  I  'se  wuss  off  dan  I 
eber  wuz.  'Fo'  I  come  here  I  wuz  er  butler,  and  I 
wuz  er  gemmen — yas-sah,  ef  I  do  hat  ter  say  it 
myself  —  and  I  alius  live  wid  gemmens  an' 
sociate  wid  gemmens.  I  come  out  here  wid  you 
ter  be  a  white  man  an'  er  equal.  Dat 's  what  dey 
all  say.  I  be  er  equal  'comrade.'  I  make  up 
my  mind  dat  I  jine  de  minstrel  band,  pick  de  banjer, 
an'  sing  de  balance  er  my  life.  Bress  God,  what 
happen.  Dey  make  me  a  hod-carrier  and  make 
me  'sociate  wid  low-down  po'  white  trash.  I 
ain't  come  here  ter  be  no  'comrade'  wid  dem 
kin'  er  folks.  Dey  ain't  m.y  equal,  sah,  an'  I  can't 
'ford  to  'sociate  wid  'em.  What 's  fuddermo,  sah, 
carryin'  a  hod  ain't  my  business  —  hit  don't  suit 
my  health  an'  brick-dust  ain't  good  fur  my  com- 
plexion, sah!" 

Tom  grunted  contemptuously. 

Norman  smiled  and  shook  his  head. 

"Sorry,  Comrade  Bob,"  he  replied.  "We 
have  n't  men  enough  to  organize  the  minstrels  yet. 


SOME  TROUBLES  IN  HEAVEN      175 

We  must  rush  the  new  buildmg.  We  have  thou- 
sands of  new  members  clamouring  to  join  We 
have  nowhere  to  house  them." 

"Yassah,  an'  I  'spec'  dey '11  be  clamourin'  ter 
unjine  fo'  long,"  old  Bob  muttered,  as  he  passed 
on  to  be  comforted  by  Catherine's  soothing  words. 

Saka,  the  Indian,  whom  Colonel  Worth  had 
educated,  had  followed  Norman.  He  demanded 
a  return  ticket  to  the  Colonel's  hunting  lodge. 

It  was  promptly  refused.  Catherine  attempted 
to  soothe  his  ruffled  feelings.  He  snapped  his 
fingers  in  her  face  and  grunted . 

The  Brotherhood  of  Man  saw  Saka  no  more 
for  many  moons,  but  the  crack  of  his  rifle 
was  heard  on  the  mountain  side  and  the  smoke 
of  his  tepee  curled  defiantly  from  the  neighbour- 
ing plains. 

The  chef  appeared  before  the  court  in  answer 
to  numerous  complaints  about  the  table. 

"I  must  have  the  law  laid  down  for  the  tables, 
Comrade  Judges,"  he  demanded.  "One  man 
wants  one  thing  and  another  refuses  to  eat  at  the 
table  where  such  food  is  served.  A  dozen  men  and 
women  ask  only  for  bread,  vegetables,  and  nuts. 
They  refuse  to  eat  meat.  They  refuse  to  allow 
me  to  cook  it  or  any  one  else  to  eat  it  if  they  can 
help  it.  They  make  my  life  miserable.  I  want 
permission  to  kick  them  out  of  the  kitchen.     They 


176  COMRADES 

demand  the  right  to  inspect  my  pots  and  pans  to 
see  if  meat  has  touched  them.  They  must  go  or 
I  go.  I  will  not  be  insulted  by  fools.  If  you  do 
not  give  me  permission  to  kick  these  people  out 
of  the  kitchen  I  will  do  so  without  permission. 
You  can  take  your  choice." 

The  cook  mopped  his  brow  and  sat  down  with 
a  defiant  wave  of  his  arm. 

A  woman  who  had  been  a  leader  of  the 
W.  C.  T.  U.  pressed  forward  before  the  cook's 
demand  could  be  considered. 

"And  I  demand  in  the  name  of  truth,  purity, 
righteousness,  justice,  faith,  and  God,  that  no  more 
wine  be  allowed  on  the  table.  I  demand  that  we 
burn  the  wine  house  and  issue  an  order  to  the  cook 
never  again,  under  penalty  of  imprisonment  for 
life,  to  use  a  drop  of  alcohol  in  the  food  he  serves 
to  the  Brotherhood " 

"And  I  also  demand.  Comrade  Judges,"  the 
cook  interrupted,  "the  right  to  throw  that  woman 
out  of  the  kitchen  and  have  her  fined  and 
imprisoned  the  next  time  she  dares  to  interfere 
with  my  business.  She  got  into  the  pantry  yester- 
day and  destroyed  five  hundred  mince  pies  because 
she  smelled  brandy  in  them." 

"Yes,  and  I  '11  do  it  again  if  you  dare  to  poison 
the  bodies  and  souls  of  my  comrades  with  that 
hellish  stuff!"  she  cried,  triumphantly. 


SOME  TROUBLES  IN  HEAVEN      177 

*'  I  'd  like  to  know,"  the  cook  shouted,  "  how 
I  *m  to  do  my  work  if  every  fool  in  creation  can 
butt  into  my  business?" 

"Softly!     Softly!"  Norman  warned. 

*'I  mean  it!"  thundered  the  chef.  "This 
woman  swears  she  will  wreck  the  dining-room  if 
I  dare  to  place  wine  again  on  our  bill  of  fare.  I 
want  to  know  if  she  's  in  command  of  this  colony  I 
If  so,  you  can  count  me  out!" 

"And  while  we  are  on  this  point,  Comrade 
Judges,'*  spoke  up  a  mild-looking  little  man,  "I 
have  summoned  a  neighbour  of  mine  to  appear 
before  you  and  show  cause  why  he  should  not 
cease  to  have  sauerkraut  served  at  breakfast.  He 
sits  at  my  table.  I  Ve  begged  him  to  stop  it. 
I  've  begged  the  cook  to  stop  cooking  the  stuff, 
but  he  bribes  the  cook " 

"That  *s  a  lie,"  shouted  the  chef. 

"I  saw  him  do  it,  your  honours,"  the  little 
man  went  on.  "I  'm  a  small-sized  man  or  I  'd 
lick  him.  I  tried  to  move  my  seat  but  they 
would  n*t  let  me.  I  pledge  you  my  word  when  he 
brings  that  big  dish  of  steaming  sauerkraut  to  our 
table  It  fogs  the  whole  end  of  the  dining-room. 
The  odour  is  so  strong  it  not  only  stops  you  from 
eating,  you  can't  think.  It  knocks  you  out  for 
the  day." 

"Is  it  possible,"  Norman  inquired,  "that  there 


178  COMRADES 

is  a  human  being  among  us  who  eats  sauerkraut 
for  breakfast  ?" 

"There 's  no  doubt  about  it,  comrade,** 
promptly  responded  a  tall,  strapping-looking 
fellow,  with  a  dark,  scholarly  face,  as  he  stepped 
to  the  front. 

"That's  him!'*  cried  the  little  accuser.  "I 
made  him  come.  Told  him  I  'd  organize  a  party 
to  lynch  him  if  he  did  n't.  He  won't  dare  deny  it. 
I  can  prove  it." 

"I  have  no  desire  to  deny  that  I  eat  sauerkraut, 
you  little  ape,"  he  replied  with  scorn.  "  I  come  of 
German  ancestry,  comrades.  My  great-grand- 
father helped  to  create  this  nation.  He  was  a 
pure-blooded  German.  I  inherit  from  him  my 
personal  likes  and  dislikes.  Sauerkraut  is  the 
best  breakfast  food  ever  served  to  man.  It  is  a 
pure  vegetable  malt.  It  is  wholesome,  clean, 
healthful,  and  keeps  the  system  of  a  brain  worker 
in  perfect  order.  I  eat  it  with  ham  gravy  and  good 
hot  wheat  biscuits.  It  is  some  trouble  for  the 
cook  to  prepare  this  particular  kind  of  soft  tea- 
biscuit  for  me.  I  paid  him  a  little  extra  for  this 
bread  —  not  the  kraut.  I  suggest  to  your  honours 
that  you  make  sauerkraut  a  standard  breakfast 
diet  as  a  health  measure.  They  may  kick  a  little 
at  first,  but  I  assure  you  it  will  improve  the  health 
and  character  of  the  colony.    If  this  little  chap  who 


SOME  TROUBLES  IN  HEAVEN      179 

accuses  me  were  put  on  a  diet  of  kraut  for  break- 
fast it  might  even  now  make  a  man  of  him.  I 
not  only  have  nothing  to  apologize  for,  I  bring 
you  good  tidings.  I  proclaim  sauerkraut  the 
onlyperfect  health  food  for  breakfast,  and  I  suggest 
its  compulsory  use.  The  man  who  sits  next  to  me 
eats  snails.  I  think  the  habit  a  filthy  and  danger- 
ous one.  If  you  are  going  into  this  question, 
do  it  thoroughly.  Let  us  fix  by  law  what  is 
fit  to  eat,  and  stick  to  it.  I  '11  back  sauerkraut 
before  any  dietary  commission  ever  organized  on 
earth." 

The  council  appointed  a  commission  to  con- 
duct hearings  and  make  a  rigid  code  of  laws 
establishing  the  kind  of  foods  for  each  meal. 

Again  Roland  Adair,  the  Bard  of  Ramcat, 
rose,  shook  his  long  hair  and  cleared  his  throat. 

Norman  lifted  his  hand  for  silence. 

"I  anticipate  the  poet's  words.  You  solemnly 
protest  against  the  further  establishment  of  a 
tyranny  which  shall  dare  prescribe  your  food 
from  day  to  day.  I  grieve  over  the  necessity  of 
these  laws  and  mingle  my  tears  with  yours  in 
advance.  But,  in  the  language  of  a  distinguished 
citizen  of  the  old  republic,  *we  are  confronted 
by  a  condition,  not  a  theory.'  The  council  stands 
adjourned." 

The    Bard    poured     his    bitter    protest    into 


i8o  COMRADES 

Catherine's  patient  ears  and  left  with  a  growing 
conviction  of  her  wisdom. 

The  woman  with  the  drooping  eyelids  stood 
watching  his  retreating  figure  while  a  quiet 
smile  of  contempt  played  about  her  full,  sensu- 
ous lips. 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE    UNCONVENTIONAL 

WITHIN  a  week  it  was  necessary  to  appoint 
a  commission  to  formulate  an  elaborate 
code  of  laws  regulating  various  nuisances  which 
had  developed  in  the  community. 

A  kitchen-boy  insisted  on  playing  a  cornet  in 
his  room.  He  did  n't  know  a  musical  from  a 
promissory  note  but  he  swore  he  'd  become  a 
musician  before  he  died.  His  efforts  came  near 
proving  fatal  to  his  neighbours  before  he  was 
suppressed. 

Several  women  had  pet  parrots.  The  people 
who  lived  near  by  strenuously  objected.  The 
parrots  had  to  go. 

A  sailor  had  brought  a  monkey  whose  manners 
were  not  appreciated  by  any  one  except  his 
master.  The  monkey  had  to  go.  Cats  were 
arraigned  for  trial  and  a  fierce  battle  raged  over 
the  question  of  allowing  them  in  the  building. 
The  question  was  finally  put  to  the  popular  vote 
in  the  assembly  and  the  cats  won  by  a  good  ma- 
jority. But  strict  laws  regulating  the  kind  of  cats, 
their  number,  and  their  care,  were  put  into  force. 


1 82  COMRADES 

Dogs  won  by  a  large  majority  when  they  were 
finally  put  on  trial. 

The  commission  on  nuisances  had  finally  to 
make  a  code  of  laws  regulating  table  manners 
and  the  conduct  of  all  social  gatherings. 

The  one  question  which  all  but  precipitated 
a  civil  war  was  the  problem  of  dress.  Inequality 
of  wages  meant,  of  necessity,  inequality  of  dress. 

A  desperate  effort  was  made  by  a  large  number 
to  force  the  community  to  adopt  a  uniform  for 
both  men  and  women.  It  was  fiercely  opposed. 
Every  woman  who  believed  herself  good  looking 
refused  to  listen  to  any  argument  on  the  subject. 

It  was  necessary  at  once,  however,  to  formulate 
some  sort  of  code.  A  number  of  men  had  been 
coming  into  the  dining-room  in  their  shirt  sleeves. 
Some  of  them  apparently  never  combed  their  hair 
or  changed  their  linen.  A  number  of  women  had 
gotten  into  the  habit  of  coming  into  the  dining- 
room  in  loose  wrappers  of  variegated  colors  and 
without  corsets. 

The  Bard  of  Ramcat  was  particularly  severe 
in  his  public  criticism  of  these  w^omen  in  the 
general  assembly  of  the  Brotherhood. 

"In  the  name  of  beauty,  I  protest!"  he  cried. 
"Beauty  is  an  attribute  of  God.  It  is  woman's 
first  duty  to  be  beautiful,  and  if  she  is  n't,  at  least 
to  make  man  think  she  is.     I  insist  that  she  shall 


THE  UNCONVENTIONAL  183 

have  the  widest  Hberty  in  the  choice  of  dress. 
Only  let  her  be  careful  that  she  is  beautiful!" 

The  poet  was  heartily  applauded,  and  a  reso- 
lution was  passed  which  embodied  his  ideas, 
approving  the  widest  freedom  of  choice  in  dress, 
approving  especially  unconventional  forms  of 
dress,  provided  always  the  ideal  of  beauty  was 
held  inviolate. 

In  his  speech  advocating  the  immediate  passage 
of  the  resolution  the  Bard  urged  every  woman  to 
outdo  herself  in  the  struggle  for  supreme  beauty 
of  appearance  at  the  weekly  ball  on  Friday 
evening. 

His  resolutions  and  speech  bore  surprising 
fruit. 

When  the  festivities  were  at  their  height  a 
crowd  of  fifteen  pretty  girls  suddenly  swept  into 
the  brilliantly  lighted  ball-room  in  tights!  The 
sensation  was  so  instantaneous  and  overwhelming 
the  music  stopped  with  a  crash.  The  orchestra 
thought  somebody  had  yelled   fire. 

The  girls  in  their  beautiful  but  unconventional 
dress  tried  to  appear  unconcerned.  But  even 
the  Bard  was  appalled  at  the  results. 

The  pretty  young  chorus-girls  had  taken  him 
at  his  word.  They  had  always  cherished  a 
secret  desire  to  live  in  an  unconventional  real 
world,  where  they  could  have  a  chance  to  be 


1 8+  COMRADES 

themselves,  without  the  hideous  skirts  of  con- 
ventional society  veiHng  their  beauty.  They 
had  brought  these  costumes  with  them  and  joined 
the  new  moral  world  in  the  firm  faith  that  their 
ideal  would  be  realized.  It  had  come  very 
slov/ly,  but  it  had  come  at  last. 

They  donned  their  beautiful  costumes  with 
hearts  fluttering  in  triumphant  pride.  But  they 
had  huddled  into  a  corner  of  the  ball-room  in  a 
panic  of  fright  at  the  insane  commotion  their 
honest  efforts  to  promote  beauty  had  caused. 
One  by  one  every  woman  in  skirts  save  Barbara 
and  Catherine  left  the  room.  The  married  ones 
seized  their  husbands  and  pushed  them  out 
ahead. 

Norman,  who  was  dancing  with  Barbara,  broke 
down  and  burst  into  a  paroxysm  of  laughter. 

Some  of  the  girls  began  to  cry,  but  others  made 
a  brave  effort  to  face  the  crowd  of  eager,  giggling 
boys  who  pressed  nearer. 

The  Bard  approached  with  a  serious  look  on  his 
noble  brow,  deliberately  put  on  his  glasses  and 
surveyed   the   crowd. 

"My  dear  girls,"  he  began,  "I  thank  you  from 
the  bottom  of  my  heart  for  the  sincerity  and 
honesty  of  your  efforts  to  express  beauty  in  uncon- 
ventional form,  but  really  this  is  beyond  my 
wildest   expectation." 


THE  UNCONVENTIONAL  185 

Catherine  drove  the  rude  boys  out  of  the  room 
and  closed  the  windows,  while  Barbara  kissed 
the  tears  away  from  the  hysterical  innovators 
and  led  them  back  to  their  rooms. 

The  next  morning  the  general  assembly  held 
an  unusually  solemn  meeting  at  which  it  was 
voted  by  a  large  majority  to  settle  at  once  and 
forever  the  question  of  dress  by  adopting  a 
Socialist  uniform  of  scarlet  and  white  for  the 
women,  and  for  the  men  a  dull  gray  suit  with 
scarlet  bands  on  the  sleeve,  a  scarlet  stripe  and 
belt  for  the  trousers. 

The  discussion  was  brief  zna  Roiand  Adair, 
the  Bard  of  Ramcat,  protested  in  vain. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

A   PAIR   OF    COLD    GRAY    EYES 

FROM  the  night  of  the  ball  at  which  the 
group  of  chorus-girls  made  their  sensational 
entrance  in  tights,  Norman  had  his  hands  full. 
Disorder  had  rapidly  grown  in  the  Brotherhood. 
Two  distinct  parties  began  to  line  up  for  a  desper- 
ate struggle  for  supremacy,  the  one  standing 
for  the  widest  liberty  of  the  individual  members 
of  the  community,  the  other  demanding  the  stern 
enforcement  of  law  and  order  and  the  formulation 
of  a  complete  and  strict  code  of  rules  for  the 
government  of  daily  conduct. 

Among  the  men  assigned  to  various  tasks  there 
gradually  appeared  a  number  who  slighted  their 
work.  From  carelessness  they  drifted  into  utter 
incompetency  and  downright  laziness.  Groups 
of  these  loafers  began  to  hang  around  the  house 
daily. 

When  they  had  spent  the  last  penny  of  their 
credit  at  the  general  store  of  the  community,  they 
began  to  steal.  Not  a  day  or  night  passed  but 
complaints  of  thefts  were  made  from  every  depart- 
ment of  the  colony.     One  of  the  most  serious  of 

iS6 


A  PAIR  OF  COLD  GRAY  EYES     1S7 

these  burglaries  was  the  robbery  of  the  winery  of 
an  enormous  quantity  of  the  most  valuable  wines. 

Drunkenness  had  already  become  one  of  the 
serious  problems  of  the  Brotherhood,  and  the 
right  to  buy  of  the  steward  had  been  denied  a  large 
number  of  men  and  several  women.  These  people 
began  at  once  to  show  signs  of  intoxication.  It  was 
plain  that  the  thieves  had  hidden  this  wine  and  that 
they  were  carrying  on  a  secret  traffic  with  those  to 
whom  it  had   been  forbidden. 

With  the  increase  of  reckless  drunkenness 
another  evil  grew  with  alarming  rapidity,  the 
carousing  of  boisterous  men  and  women.  One  of 
them  very  quickly  passed  the  limits  of  tolerance. 
She  was  in  many  respects  the  most  beautiful  girl 
in  the  colony,  barely  nineteen  years  old,  with 
luxuriant  blond  hair,  and  big,  wide,  staring  baby- 
blue  eyes.  She  had  with  it  all  a  smile  so  saucy, 
so  vv^insome,  so  elfish,  and  yet  so  innocent,  it  was 
impossible  for  the  average  man  or  woman  to  think 
ill  of  her.  To  every  appeal  of  Barbara  she  merely 
showed  her  pretty  white  teeth  in  a  winsome  smile, 
promised  her  anything  she  asked,  and  proceeded 
to  do  as  she  liked. 

At  last  her  room  was  declared  an  intolerable 
nuisance  by  a  committee  appointed  to  enter  the 
complaint  on  behalf  of  her  neighbours  on  the  floor 
on  which  she  lived.     The  night  before  this  com- 


i88  COMRADES 

mittee  appealed  to  Barbara  two  boys  had  fought 
a  desperate  fist  duel  in  this  room.  The  noise  had 
roused  the  neighbours,  and  the  case  could  no 
longer  be  ignored  by  the  executive  council, 

Barbara  was  sent  to  this  room  with  full  power 
to  deal  with  the  offender. 

"Good  heavens,"  cried  the  girl,  her  big  blue 
eyes  opening  wide  with  injured  innocence,  "how 
could  I  help  it  ?  They  're  both  in  love  with  me. 
I  don't  care  a  rap  for  either  one  of  them,  but  they 
got  to  fighting,  and  1  could  n't  stop  them.  I 
threw  a  pitcher  of  water  on  them,  but  they  kept 
right  on.  I  'd  have  called  the  police,  but  there 
was  none  to  call.     It  was  n't  my  fault." 

"But  my  dear  Blanche,"  pleaded  Barbara, 
**  can't  you  see  that  you  are  bringing  scandal  and 
disgrace  into  the  colony  ?" 

"It's  not  me!"  the  pretty  lips  pouted.  "It's 
these  old  women  who  are  talking.  Let  them  shut 
their  mouths  and  attend  to  their  own  business. 
I  'm  not  bothering  them." 

"You  deny  the  accusations  they  bring  against 
your  good  name?"  Barbara  said,  with  some 
surprise. 

"Of  course  I  deny  them,"  she  snapped.  "  I  've 
got  to  have  some  fun,  have  n't  I  ?  I  can't  help 
it  that  a  dozen  boys  come  to  see  me  and 
nobody  ever  sees  the  old  tabbies  who  lie  about 


A  PAIR  OF  COLD  GRAY  EYES      189 

me,  can  I  ?  I  can't  help  it  that  they  are  old 
and  ugly,  can  I  ?  " 

Barbara  had  ceased  to  listen  to  the  glib  tongue, 
whose  lying  chatter  tired  her.  She  looked  about 
the  room  with  increasing  amazement.  It  was 
stuffed  with  presents  of  every  conceivable  descrip- 
tion. Costly  rugs  adorned  the  floor.  Soft  pillows 
filled  the  couch  by  the  window.  Dainty  and 
expensive  works  of  art  adorned  her  mantel, 
and  the  richest  and  most  beautiful  underwear 
lay  in  a  smoothly  laundered  pile  on  her  luxuriant 
bed. 

"And  how  did  you  get  all  these  costly  and 
beautiful  things,  my  dear?"  Barbara  asked, 
with   a  touch  of  sarcasm. 

The  big  blue  eyes  opened  wide  again  with 
wonder. 

"Why,  the  boys  who  are  in  love  with  me 
gave  them.  Why  should  n't  they  ?  I  can't  help 
it  that  they  are  foolish,  can  I  ?  God  made  them 
so." 

"And  you  accepted  these  rich  and  costly  things 
in  perfect  innocence  of  the  evil  meaning  others 
might  put  on  them  .f"' 

"Of  course!  How  can  I  keep  their  tongues 
from  wagging  ?  Life  's  too  short.  I  have  but 
one  life  to  live.  I  can't  waste  it  worrying  over 
nothing." 


190  COMRADES 

For  the  first  time  in  her  career  Barbara  stood 
face  to  face  with  naked  evil  —  with  a  liar  to  whom 
a  lie  was  good  —  a  radiantly  beautiful  girl  to 
whom  shame  was  sweet. 

For  a  moment  the  thought  was  suffocating. 
She  looked  out  of  the  window  at  the  infinite  blue 
sea  until  the  tears  slowly  blinded  her.  The  first 
doubt  of  her  theory  of  life  crept  into  her  heart 
and  threw  its  shadow  over  the  ideal  of  the  new 
world  she  had  built. 

She  took  the  girl's  hand,  slipped  her  arm  around 
her  neck,  kissed  the  soft,  shining  hair,  and 
sobbed: 

"Poor  little  foolish  sister!  I  'm  afraid  you  've 
broken  my  heart  to-day." 

"  I  haven't  done  a  thing !  Honestly,  I  have  n't !" 
the  lusty  young  liar  rattled  on  and  on,  in  a  hundred 
silly,  vain  protests,  which  Barbara  never  heard. 

She  left  the  room  at  length  with  a  sickening 
sense  of  defeat,  though  the  girl  had  promised  her 
on  the  honour  of  her  soul  never  again  to  give  the 
slightest  cause  for  complaint. 

Many  a  day  she  had  trudged  through  the  streets 
of  the  great  city,  after  hours  of  nerve-racking 
struggles  with  sin  and  shame  and  despair  in  the 
old  world,  but  she  had  always  come  home  at 
night  with  a  heart  singing  a  battle-hymn  of 
victory.     She  knew  the  cause  of  all  the  pain,  and 


A  PAIR  OF  COLD  GRAY  EYES      191 

she  had  given  her  hfe  to  right  the  wrong.  Nothing 
daunted  her,  nothing  disconcerted  her.  In  the 
end  triumph  was  sure,  and  while  she  felt  this 
there  could  be  no  such  thing  as  failure. 

She  stood  before  the  full  meeting  of  the  execu- 
tive council,  honestly  reported  the  case,  and  for 
the  first  time  tasted  the  bitterness  of  defeat,  help- 
less, complete,  and  overwhelming.  While  she 
was  talking  a  peculiar  expression  in  Wolf's 
cold  gray  eyes  suddenly  caught  her  attention  and 
fixed  her  gaze  on  him  with  a  curious  fascination 
and  horror.  Wolf  was  quick  to  note  her  look, 
recovered  himself  and  smiled  in  his  old  fatherly, 
friendly  way. 

"Don't  worry,  comrade.  We've  got  to  meet 
and  settle  such  questions.  They  are  merely  the 
inheritance  of  civilization.  It  v^ill  take  a  little 
time,    that 's    all." 

But  as  Barbara's  gaze  lingered  on  the  heavy 
brutal  lines  of  Wolf's  massive  figure  and  she 
caught  again  the  gleam  of  his  gray  eyes  a  sickening 
sense  of  foreboding  gripped  her  heart. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

THE    FIGHTING   INSTINCT 

AS  QUESTIONS  of  discipline  became  more 
and  more   pressing    old    Tom   refused   to 
sit  as  an  active  judge  in  the  executive  council. 

Norman  protested  in  vain  against  his  decision 
to  retire  for  a  v^^hile. 

"  I  can't  do  no  good  settin'  thar  listenin'  to  them 
fools,"  the  m.iner  declared.  "They  make  me 
sick.  Besides,  ye  all  vote  me  down  when  I  tells 
ye  what  to  do,  and  things  keep  on  goin'  from  bad 
to  worse.  Jest  let  me  git  out  and  move  around 
among  the  boys  a  little.  I  think  I  can  do  some 
good.  You  folks  is  all  too  chicken-hearted  to 
run  this  Brotherhood.  Love  and  fellowship  is 
all  right,  but  ye  've  got  ter  mix  a  little  law  and 
common  sense  before  ye  can  straighten  the  kinks 
out  of  this  here  community." 

Norman  gave  his  consent  reluctantly,  and  was 
amazed  at  the  end  of  a  week  to  observe  a  remark- 
able improvement  in  the  spirit  of  the  colony. 
Loafers  disappeared,  stealing  all  but  ceased, 
drinking  and  fighting  were  on  the  decrease. 
One  by  one  old  Tom  had  taken  the  loafers  with 
192 


THE  FIGHTING  INSTINCT         193 

him  on  a  long  walk  up  the  beach.  He  was  usually- 
gone  about  an  hour  and  always  came  back 
laughing  and  chatting  with  his  friend  in  the 
best  of  humour.  Invariably  the  loafer  went 
to  work. 

In  the  same  way  he  took  a  walk  with  each  one 
of  a  crowd  of  wild,  unmannerly  boys,  whose 
rudeness  at  the  table  and  whose  horse-play  about 
the  building  had  become  unendurable.  The 
effects  of  these  walks  seemed  magical.  Always 
the  pair  returned  in  a  fine  humour  and  the  most 
marked  revolution  was  immediately  noted  in  the 
conduct  of  the  offender. 

Norman  asked  the  old  man  again  and  again 
for  the  secret  of  his  power. 

He  replied  in  the  most  casual  way: 

"  Just  had  a  plain  heart-to-heart  talk  with  'em 
and  told  'em  VN^hat  had  to  be  —  that 's  all." 

The  good  work  had  continued  for  a  week  with 
uninterrupted  success,  when  a  bomb  was  sud- 
denly exploded  in  the  executive  council  by  the 
appearance  of  an  irate  mother  leading  an  insolent 
fourteen-year-old  cub,  who  walked  rather  stiffly. 

Amid  a  silence  that  was  painful,  the  mother 
stripped  the  boy  to  the  waist,  thrust  him  before 
Norman  and  Barbara,  and  said: 

"Now,  tell  them  what  you  've  just  told  me." 

The  boy  glanced   cautiously  around  to  see  if 


194  COMRADES 

his  enemy  were  near  and  poured  forth  a  tale  the 
like  of  which  had  never  been  heard  before. 

"Old  Tom  asked  me  to  take  a  walk  with  him. 
He  got  me  away  off  in  a  lonely  place  behind  the 
big  rocks  on  that  little  island  up  the  beach  and 
pulled  up  a  plank  drawbridge  so  I  could  n't  get 
back  till  he  wanted  to  let  me.  He  stripped  me 
like  this,  tied  me  to  a  whipping-post  and  nearly 
beat  the  life  out  of  me.  He  said  he  'd  been 
appointed  by  the  council  to  settle  with  me  in  pri- 
vate so  nobody  would  know  anything  about  it." 

"Said  that  he  had  been  appointed  by  the 
council  to  whip  you.?"  Norman  asked,  in 
amazement. 

"That 's  what  he  said,  sir,"  the  boy  went  on. 
"He  gave  me  forty-nine  lashes  with  a  cowhide 
and  then  set  down  and  talked  to  me  a  half  hour." 

"And  what  did  he  say.?"  Norman  inquired, 
forcing  back  a  smile  by  a  desperate  effort. 

"He  told  me  that  he  tried  to  get  out  of  the  work, 
but  the  council  had  forced  it  on  him.  Said  there 
ought  n't  to  be  no  hard  feelings,  that  it  was  a 
dirty,  tiresome  job,  and  he  did  n't  have  no  pleasure 
in  it,  but  it  had  to  be  done  for  the  salvation  of 
the  people.  He  said  it  was  n't  wise  to  talk  about 
such  things  among  the  Brotherhood.  I  told  him 
I  'd  tell  my  ma  the  minute  I  got  home.  He  said 
that  would  be  foolish,  that  none  of  the  others  had 


THE  FIGHTING  INSTINCT         195 

said  a  word,  that  they  had  all  taken  their  medi- 
cine Hke  little   men." 

"He  told  you  he  had  whipped  all  the  others  who 
had  taken  that  walk  with  him  ?  "  Norman 
gasped. 

"That's  what  he  said,  sir,"  the  boy  insisted, 
"and  I  guess  he  had,  for  they'd  pawed  a  hole 
in  the  sand  'round  that  whipping-post  big  enough 
to  bury  a  horse  in." 

The  boy  paused  and  his  mother  shook  him 
angrily, 

"Tell  what  else  he  said  to  you!" 

The  cub  glanced  hastily  toward  the  door  and 
whispered: 

"Said  if  I  opened  my  mouth  about  what  had 
happened  he  'd  skin  me  alive." 

The  council  sent  the  mother  and  son  away 
with  the  assurance  of  immediate  action. 

The  court  adjourned  and  Norman  started 
with  Barbara  at  once  to  find  Tom.  Faithful  to 
his  new  calling  he  had  strolled  up  the  beach  with 
a  man  who  once  had  been  his  partner  as  a  pros- 
pector and  miner.  Joe  Weatherby  had  been 
drinking  heavily  the  week  before  and  Tom  had 
keenly  felt  the  disgrace  his  old  partner  had 
brought  on  the  Brotherhood  by  his  rudeness 
in  the  dining-room. 

Joe  had  thrown  a  plate  of  soup  in  the  face  of 


196  COMRADES 

a  boy  who  was  making  facetious  remarks  about 
his  capacity  for  strong  drink.  When  rebuked 
by  his  neighbours  he  had  accentuated  his  dis- 
pleasure by  overturning  the  table  and  smashing 
every  dish  on  it.  He  ended  the  affair  by  roundly 
cursing  the  Brotherhood  for  its  rules  and  regula- 
tions interfering  with  his  personal  liberty,  threw 
his  pack  on  his  back,  and  struck  the  trail  for  the 
mountains  to   prospect  for  gold. 

He  had  just  returned,  after  a  week's  absence, 
and  Tom  seized  the  opportunity  to  invite  Joe  to 
take  a  walk  with  him. 

Knowing  the  character  of  the  two  men,  Norman 
felt  quite  sure  this  walk  could  not  possibly  have 
the  usual  happy  ending  that  attended  so  many 
of  these  performances. 

He  quickened  his  pace. 

"Hurry,  or  we  may  have  a  funeral  for  our 
next  function,"  he  cried,  with  a  laugh. 

A  quarter  of  a  mile  up  the  beach  the  sound  of 
loud  angry  words  suddenly  struck  their  ears  from 
behind  a  pile  of  huge  boulders. 

"Quick,  we  're  just  in  time!"  Barbara  cried, 
"they've  begun  to  quarrel." 

They  cautiously  approached  the  boulders  and 
climbed  to  the  top  of  the  larger  one  overlooking  the 
scene  Tom  had  evidently  chosen  for  his  debate 
with  Joe. 


THE  FIGHTING  INSTINCT         197 

"Had  n*t  you  better  part  them  now  ?"  Barbara 
asked  with  some  anxiety. 

"No,  I  '11  stop  them  in  time.  I  want  to  get 
acquainted  with  Tom's  methods  of  persuasion 
first." 

Tom  's  voice  was  rising  in  accents  of  wratho 
"Joe,  I  *m  a  man  o'  peace  —  I  'm  a  member  o' 
the  Brotherhood  and  you  're  my  brother,  but  I  '11 
tell  ye  right  now  we  've  got  to  have  law  and  order 
in  this  community " 

"And  I  say,  Tom  Mooney,  there  hain't  no  law 
exceptin'  what 's  inside  a  man." 

"Yes,  but  how  kin  ye  git  any  law  inside  a  man 
ef  he  's  always  chuck  full  er  licker  ?" 

"I  don't  drink  to  'mount  to  nothin',"  Joe 
protested.  "Just  a  drop  now  an'  then  ter  keep  me 
in  good  health." 

"Wall,  ef  you  try  any  more  capers  in  that  dinin*- 
room,  your  health  's  goin'  ter  break  clean  down — = 
yer  hear  me  ?" 

Joe  eyed  Tom  a  moment  and  said  with  sharp 
emphasis: 

"I  reckon  I  can  take  care  o*  myself,  part- 
ner, without  you  settin'  up  nights  to  worry 
about  me." 

"That's  just  the  trouble,  Joe,  ye  can't.  You 
jined  the  Brotherhood,  but  yer  faith  's  gettin'  weak. 
I  *m  afeard  you  're  onregenerate,  conceived  in  sin 


198  COMRADES 

an*  brought  forth  in  iniquity,  an'  ye  ain't  had  no 
change  er  heart  nohow." 

"Look  here,  what  are  ye  drivin'  at?"  Joe 
asked,  beginning  to  back  away    cautiously. 

*'I  just  want  ter  strengthen  yer  faith,  partner,'* 
Tom  protested  kindly  as  he  advanced  good- 
naturedly  and  laid  his  hand  on  Joe's  arm. 

Joe  shook  it  off  and  turned  to  go.  With  a 
sudden  spring  Tom  was  on  him.  A  brief,  fierce 
struggle  ensued  marked  by  low,  savage  growls  like 
two  bull-dogs  clinched  and  searching  for  each 
other's   throats. 

"Stop  them!  Stop  them!  They'll  kill  one 
another,"  pleaded  Barbara. 

"No.  It'll  do  them  good.  Wait,"  he 
replied,  watching  them  breathlessly. 

"Here!  Here,  you  old  fool,"  growled  Joe. 
"Do  you  call  this  the  Brotherhood  of  Man.?" 

"Yes,  my  son,  and  specially  the  Fatherhood  er 
God.     The  Lord  chastens  them  he  loveth!" 

With  a  sudden  twist  the  writhing  figures  fell 
in  the  sand,  Tom  on  top  pinning  Joe  down. 

Joe  fought  with  fierce  strength  to  rise  but  it 
was  no  use. 

Tom  clutched  his  throat  and  choked  him 
steadily  into  submission. 

"I  *m  er  man  o'  peace,  Joe,"  he  repeated. 

"Yes,  you  are!"  the  bottom  one  growled. 


THE  FIGHTING  INSTINCT         199 

"But  when  I  mingles  with  the  unregenerate, 
my  son,  I  trusts  in.  God  an'  keeps  mv  powder 
dry!" 

"Let  me  up,  you  old  fool!'*  Joe  growled. 

"Not  yet,  my  son!"  was  the  firm  answer. 

"You  'II  get  my  dander  up  in  a  minute  and  some 
body's  goin'  ter  git  hurt,"  warned  the  prostrate 
figure. 

"Please  make  them  quit,"  Barbara  whispered 
tremblingly. 

"  Nonsense.  They  're  enjoying  themselves," 
Norman  softly  laughed, 

"What  are  you  tryin'  ter  do  anyhow.?" 
whined  Joe. 

"I  'm  callin*  a  lost  sinner  to  repentance,"  was 
the  prompt  answer. 

"Lemme  up,  I  tell  ye,"  Joe  yelled,  struggling 
with  desperation. 

Tom  choked  him  again  into  silence  and  seated 
himself  comfortably  across  Joe's  stomach. 

"  Now,  Joseph,  my  boy.  I  want  you  ter  say  over 
the  catechism  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Man.  Hit  'II 
freshen  yer  mind  an'  be  good  fer  yer  soul " 

Another  grim  struggle  interrupted  the  teacher. 

"Say  it  after  me:  I  believe  in  the  fatherhood 
er  God " 

Joe  squirmed. 

"Say  it!" 


200  COMRADES 

Still  no  sound.  Tom  firmly  gripped  his  throat 
and  Joe  gurgled: 

"Fatherhood  er  God!" 

"And  brotherhood  o*  man!" 

"Brotherhood  er  man!" 

"Yer  believe  it  now?"  Tom  fiercely  asked. 

Joe  feebly  assented. 

Tom  gripped  his  throat. 

"Say  it  strong!" 

"Yes  —  I  believe  it!"  Joe  confessed. 

Again  the  under  man  struggled  desperately  and 
the  man  on  top  fiercely  choked  him  into  a  quieter 
frame  of  mind. 

"Now  again:  No  drunkard  shall  inherit  the 
kingdom  er  God!" 

Joe  repeated,  "No  drunkard  —  shall  —  what  V* 

"Inherit — the  —  kingdom — er  God  —  by  golly 
you  've  forgot  yer  Bible  too!" 

"  Inherit  —  the  —  kingdom  er  —  God ! " 

"Who  shall  not  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God  ?" 

"No  drunkard!"  Joe  answered. 

"  Let  that  soak  into  yer  lost  soul ! "  Tom  growled, 
pausing  a  moment. 

"Now  once  more!  Bear — ye — one — another's 
burdens! " 

Joe  hesitated  and  the  man  on  top  bumped  the 
words  out  of  him  one  at  a  time: 

"Bear  — y&  —  one  —  another's  —  burdens!" 


THE  FIGHTING  INSTINCT        201 

"An'  ye're  goin'  ter  help  me  bear  mine?"  the 
teacher  asked. 

"Ain't  I  a-doin'  it  now?"  grumbled  the  man 
below. 

"Well,  once  more  then:  Private  property  is 
theft!" 

"That 's  a  lie  an'  you  know  it,"  Joe  sneered. 

"The  big  chief  says  so  and  it  goes  —  say  it!" 

"Private  property  is  theft,"  Joe  repeated. 

"Well, then, once  more:  Love — one — another!" 

"Love  one  another,"  came  the  feeble  echo. 

"Do  ye  love  me  ?"  Tom  fiercely  inquired. 

Joe  struggled. 

"Say  it!"  commanded  the  teacher. 

"I  love  ye,"  he  groaned. 

Norman  suddenly  appeared  on  the  scene  fol- 
lowed by  Barbara  and  the  two  miners  leaped  to 
their  feet. 

"Tom,  old  boy,"  the  young  leader  cried,  "you 
mean  well,  but  we  are  told  by  the  preacher  that  the 
kingdom  of  God  cometh  not  of  observation  —  it 
must  be  from  within." 

"Just  goin'  over  his  Sunday-school  lesson  with 
him.  Chief." 

Joe  made  a  hostile  movement,  and  Norman 
stepped  between  them. 

"Come!  You  two  big  kids  —  enough  of  this 
now,  shake  hands  and  make  up!" 


202  COMRADES 

The  men  both  hung  back  stubbornly. 

Norman  turned  to  Tom. 

"Were  you  not  partners  and  friends  before 
you  joined  the  Brotherhood  ?" 

"Yes,"  the  old  miner  replied  grudgingly.  "We 
bin  tergether  twelve  years  an'  we  worked  an' 
played  tergether,  starved  an'  froze  tergether,  lived 
tergether,  an'  slept  under  the  same  blanket  —  he  's 
the  only  partner  I  ever  had  —  an'  he  's  my  best 
friend"  —  Tom  paused  and  choked  —  "but  I 
don't  like 'im!" 

"Shake  hands  and  make  up!"  Barbara  laughed. 

They  hung  back  a  moment  longer  until  Bar- 
bara's smile  became  resistless. 

Joe  extended  his  hand,  exclaiming: 

"Shake,  you  old  coyote!" 

Norman  gave  Joe  a  serious  talk  —  got  a  pledge 
from  him  to  quit  drink  and  stand  by  him  in  his 
efforts  to  bring  order  out  of  the  confusion  and 
chaos  in  which  the  colony  was  floundering. 

"You  think  I  can  do  anything  to  help  you?" 
Joe  asked  incredulously. 

"Of  course  you  can.  You  and  Tom  are  two 
men  I  've  known  all  my  life.  I  know  where  to 
find  you  if  I  get  into  trouble. " 

"Is  there  goin'  ter  be  any  trouble  .?"  Tom  broke 
in,  eagerly. 

"Not  yet,  but  it 's  coming.     When  it  does  we  'II 


THE  FIGHTING  INSTINCT        203 

fight  it  out  and  win.  I  've  set  my  life  on  the  issue 
of  this  experiment." 

Joe  extended  him  his  hand.  "I  'm  sorry  I  got 
drunk.     I  won't  do  it  again  — we  '11  stand  by  ye?" 

"Through  thick  an'  thin,"  Tom  added. 

"And  hereafter,  Tom,"  Norman  said  with  a 
smile,  "I  'd  like  to  be  consulted  before  you  hold 
any  more  sessions  of  your  court  up  the  beach. " 

Tom  started. 

"You  've  heard  about  it?" 

"Yes." 

"By  gum,  I  knowed  I  oughter  licked  that  kid 
again!"  the  old  miner  observed,  regretfully. 

Norman,  said  gravely:  "Tom,  we  are  getting 
into  deep  water.  I  've  begun  to  have  some  doubts 
about  our  safety.  A  leader  must  lead.  And 
I  'm  going  to  do  it.  Can  I  depend  on  you  to 
execute  my  orders  and  mine  alone  V 

"Every  day  in  the  year,"  was  the  firm  reply. 

"The  same  here,"  Joe  echoed. 

Barbara  had  drawn  apart  from  the  group  of 
men  and  stood  watching  them  with  keen, 
suspicious  interest  as  the  two  miners  started  home- 
ward with  restored  good  humour. 

"What  did  you  mean  by  saying  that  you  were 
afraid  of  coming  trouble  .''"  Barbara  eagerly  asked 
of  Norman.  "What  have  you  heard.?  What  do 
you   suspect?" 


204  COMRADES 

"Nothing,"  he  answered,  thoughtfully,  "But 
I  've  had  the  blues  for  a  week.  It 's  been  growing 
on  me  that  we  are  not  getting  on  except  into  situa- 
tions more  and  more  impossible.  There 's  a 
screw  loose  somewhere  in  our  system.  There  's 
going  to  be  a  wreck  unless  we  find  and  repair  it." 

"  I  have  felt  this,  too,  and  I  think  I  know  the 
cause." 

"What?" 

"Liberty  which  has  degenerated  into  licence. 
We  lack  authority  and  the  power  to  enforce  it." 

"And  this  is  the  one  thing  we  cursed  in  the  old 
system  —  the  law,  power,  authority." 

"No,"  Barbara  quickly  objected.  "We  did 
not  rebel  against  law  or  the  exercise  of  authority. 
We  rebelled  against  its  unjust  use." 

"And  what  depresses  me  is  that  I  am  convinced 
that  we  must  use  the  power  of  law  with  more  stern, 
direct,  and  personal  pressure  than  ever  known 
under  the  system  of  capitalism,  or  we  must  fail." 

"Is  not  such  pressure  desirable?" 

"  It  depends  on  who  applies  the  pressure  —  but 
it  seems  inevitable  —  and  it  depresses  me." 

Barbara  broke  into  a  joyous  laugh. 

"Away  with  gloomy  forebodings!  It  's  only  a 
day 's  fog.  It  will  lift.  The  sun  is  shining 
behind  it  now." 

Her  laughter  was  contagious.     Norman  smiled 


THE  FIGHTING  INSTINCT        205 

m  quick  sympathy,  and  a  response  of  hope  and 
courage  was  just  forming  itself  on  his  lips  when 
he  looked  toward  the  house  and  saw  an  excited 
crowd  packed  in  the  doorway. 

"  What  on  earth  is  the  matter  ? "  Barbara  gasped. 

"Some  accident  has  happened,"  he  replied, 
quickly.     "Come,  we  must  hurry!" 

Catherine's  Hthe  figure  darted  down  the  steps 
and  met  them  on  the  lawn. 

"What  is  it  ?"  Norman  cried. 

"A  murder!" 

"A  murder?"  Barbara  repeated,  incredulously. 

"Yes  —  wilful,  deliberate,  cruel,  horrible!" 
Catherine  went  on  excitedly. 

"Not  old  Tom  and  Joe  ?"  Norman  broke  in. 

"No  — Blanche " 

"Oh,  God,  I  knew  it,"  Barbara  gasped. 
(jo  on. 

"Blanche  kept  on  playing  fast  and  loose  with 
the  two  boys  who  fought  over  her  the  other  night. 
George  Mann  found  his  rival  in  her  room  just 
now,  waylaid  him  in  the  hall,  and  when  he  came 
out  sprang  on  him  like  a  fiend,  stabbed  him 
through  the  heart  and  cut  his  throat.  The 
brothers  of  the  dead  boy  swear  they  will  kill  the 
murderer  on  sight,  and  they  've  locked  him  in 
your  room,  Norman,  for  safety.  The  men  are 
excited  to  frenzy.     Nobody  likes  the  boy  who  did 


2o6  COMRADES 

the  crime.  The  rougher  ones  swear  they  are 
going  to  hang  him.  They  tried  to  break  in  your 
door  twice,  but  Herman  knocked  the  ringleaders 
down  and  with  Tom  and  Joe  beat  the  crowd 
back.  Something  must  be  done  at  once  to  pre- 
vent another  outbreak." 

Norman  hurried  to  the  scene  and  joined  Wolf 
in  his  defence  of  the  prisoner.  Tom  formed  a 
guard  of  ten  men  heavily  armed  and  marched  the 
prisoner  to  the  top  of  the  house,  placed  him  in  the 
small  room  in  one  of  the  central  towers,  and 
stationed  one  man  inside  and  five  on  the  stairway 
leading  into  the  tower. 

The  executive  council  met  immediately  and 
voted  unanimously  to  erect  a  prison,  establish  a 
penal  colony  on  the  small  island  at  the  north  of 
Ventura,  and  restore  the  whipping-post  for  minor 
offenders. 

The  announcement  of  this  momentous  act 
was  made  to  the  general  assembly  without  request 
for  debate  or  an  expression  of  opinion.  It  was 
received  in  silence. 

The  Bard  could  not  protest.  He  was  still 
confined  to  his  room  from  the  effects  of  a  recent 
argument  with  his  wife. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

THE  CORDS  TIGHTEN 

ON  WOLF'S  urgent  advice  Norman  deter- 
mined to  use  the  autocratic  power  invested 
in  him  hy  the  deed  of  gift  to  establish  a  complete 
code  of  law  and  enforce  it  without  fear  or  favour. 
As  the  cords  tightened,  scores  who  became 
dissatisfied  with  their  lot  offered  their  resignations 
and  asked  to  return  to  their  old  homes. 

In  answer  to  their  clamour  Norman  posted 
this  notice  on  the  bulletin  board: 

"Every  member  of  the  army  of  the  Brother- 
hood of  Man  enlisted  for  five  years'  service. 
Resignations  will  not  be  considered  and  deserters 
will  be  tried  by  court-martial.  I  am  going  to  use 
my  power  for  the  best  interests  of  the  Brother- 
hood. I  ask  the  cooperation  of  all  the  loyal 
members  of  the  colony.  Of  traitors  I  ask  no 
quarter,  and  I  expect  to  give  none. 

"Norman    Worth, 
*'  Trustee  and  General  Manager.^* 

The  effects  of  the  proclamation  were  instan- 
taneous.    The    helplessness    of   any    attempt    to 

207 


2o8  COMRADES 

resist  authority  firmly  established  under  such 
daring  leadership  was  at  once  apparent  to  the 
most  stupid  mind. 

Loafing,  drinking,  stealing,  carousing,  and  disor- 
der of  all  kind  were  reduced  at  once  to  a  minimum. 

One  act,  however,  of  the  executive  council  under 
Norman's  direction  precipitated  a  storm  in  an 
unexpected  quarter. 

The  council  removed  Blanche  and  a  group  of 
wayward  girls  with  whom  she  associated  to  a  cot- 
tage outside  the  lawn. 

The  women  of  the  Brotherhood  were  practically 
unanimous  in  their  demands  that  the  whole 
group  be  immediately  expelled  from  the  colony. 
A  committee  of  three  aggressive  women  presented 
their  demand  to  Norman  in  no  uncertain  language. 

His  reply  was  equally  emphatic: 

"Comrades,"  he  said,  firmly,"!  shall  do  nothing 
of  the  kind.  We  are  going  to  work  out  this 
experiment  in  human  society  without  compromise. 
We  have  successfully  cut  communication  with  the 
outside  world.  The  crew  of  our  ship  are  no 
longer  allowed  to  land  and  only  picked  men 
unload  her  cargo.  We  are  not  going  to  play 
the  baby  act  and  dump  these  girls  back  on  the 
old  civilization  which  we  have  denounced.  They 
may  be  wayward  but  they  are  our  sisters." 

"They  are  not  mine,"  shouted  one  of  the  com- 


THE  CORDS  TIGHTEN  209 

mittee.  "The  brazen  creatures!  And  we  do  not 
propose  to  have  our  sons  and  daughters  corrupted 
by    association    with    them." 

"Then  we  must  find  some  other  solution  than 
that  of  transportation,"  Norman  insisted. 

"Send  them  to  the  penal  colony,  then," 
demanded    the    committee. 

"And  back  in  a  circle  we  immediately  travel 
to  the  crimes  of  civilization  from  which  we  fled. 
I  prefer  to  send  the  boys  who  associate  with  them. 
They  are  the  real  offenders." 

"I  deny  that  assertion,"  firmly  declared  the 
leader  of  the  committee.  "  My  boy  is  one  of  the 
unfortunate  victims  of  these  brazen  wretches. 
Before  we  came  to  this  island  he  never  gave 
me  a  word  of  impudence.  From  the  night  he 
met  Blanche  at  our  first  ball  he  was  beyond  my 
advice  or  control.  These  girls  are  the  enemies 
of  society  and  this  colony  cannot  exist  if  they 
remain  within  its  life." 

"I  refuse  to  believe  it,"  Norman  cried,  with 
scorn.  "It  is  your  duty  to  reform  these  girls 
and  restore  them  to  mental  and  physical  sanity, 
and  as  the  leader  of  this  colony  I  direct  you  to 
take  up  this  divine  work." 

"And  I,  for  one,"  spoke,  for  the  first  time,  the 
silent  gray-haired  member  of  the  committee, 
"refuse  to  smirch  my  hands  with  the  task." 


210  COMRADES 

Norman,  looked  into  the  calm  face  of  this  white- 
haired,  motherly  looking  woman  with  amazement. 

*'I  can't  understand  you,  comrade  mother!'* 
he  exclaimed,  with  bitterness. 

"That's  because  you're  young,  handsome, 
inexperienced,  and,  above  all,  because  you  are  a 
man,"  was  the  quick  reply.  "I  have  spent  a 
busy  life  since  my  own  children  grew  out  of  the 
home  nest  in  New  York  City  in  trying  to  help 
other  people's  children  less  fortunate  than  my  own. 
I  've  helped  scores  of  boys  and  never  had  one 
to  disappoint  me  yet.  I  've  tried  to  help  scores 
of  girls  of  the  type  we  are  discussing.  I  've  always 
regretted  it.  I  found  them  shallow,  false,  lazy, 
stupid,  worthless.  I  have  never  looked  at  one  of 
them  except  to  blush  that  I  am  a  woman.  I  speak 
from  the  saddest  and  most  hopeless  experiences 
of  my  life." 

Norman  cut  the  argument  short  with  a  gesture 
of  angry  impatience.  "This  discussion  is  a 
waste  of  breath.  As  long  as  I  am  in  command 
of  this  colony  no  such  insane  act  of  injustice  shall 
be  committed  against  these  girls." 

"Then  it 's  time  you  gave  place  to  a  man  of 
greater  wisdom  and  less  sentimental  mush  in  his 
brain,"  replied  the  calm,  gray-haired  woman. 

"Thank  you,"  the  young  leader  replied,  with 
chilling   politeness,    "you    may    be    right  —  but 


THE  CORDS  TIGHTEN  211 

in    the    meantime    I    accept    the    responsibility. 
Good  day." 

He  had  made  three  enemies  whose  power  he 
was  soon  to  feel.  As  they  passed  through  the 
doorway  Catherine  greeted  them  politely  and 
soothed  their  ruffled  spirits  with  gentle  words. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

SOME    INTERROGATION    POINTS 

THE  establishment  of  a  police  and  detective 
service  completed  the  efficient  organization 
of  the  colony.  Its  life  now  began  to  move  with 
clock-like    regularity. 

But  these  changes  were  not  made  without 
provoking  fierce  debates  and  bitter  prophecies 
in  the  general  assembly  over  which  Norman 
presided  every  Friday  night. 

He  began  to  listen  to  these  endless  wrangles, 
however,  with  a  sense  of  growing  anger.  It 
became  clearer  each  week  that  they  were  the 
source  of  cliques  and  factions,  of  plots  and  counter- 
plots, within  the  colony.  His  patience  reached 
the  limit  on  the  night  he  announced  the  com- 
pletion of  the  jail. 

"This  is  a  sad  present  I  am  forced  to  make 
you  to-night,  comrades,"  he  said,  with  a  note  of 
weariness  in  his  voice.  "But  I  have  no  choice 
in  the  matter.  It  was  forced  on  the  executive 
council.  Crimes  were  committed  which  threat- 
ened the  existence  of  our  society.  We  had  to 
meet  the  issue  squarely.     We  could  have  begged 


SOME  INTERROGATION  POINTS    213 

the  question  by  calling  in  the  authorities  of  the 
State  of  California,  acknowledged  our  defeat,  and 
surrendered.  We  are  not  ready  to  surrender. 
We  have  n't  begun  to  fight  yet." 

He  had  scarcely  taken  his  seat  when  Diggs, 
the  human  interrogation-point,  slowly  unwound 
his  lank  figure,  adjusted  his  eye-glasses,  and 
gazed  smilingly  at  the  chairman. 

Norman  squirmed  with  rage  as  the  glint  of 
light  from  Diggs's  big  lenses  began  to  irritate 
his  spirit. 

Barbara  slipped  her  little  hand  under  the  table 
and  found  his.  He  clasped  it  gratefully  and 
refused  to  let  go.  She  allowed  him  to  hold  it  a 
minute  and  drew  it  away  laughing. 

**  Comrades,"  the  man  of  questions  slowly 
began,  "we  are  making  rapid  progress.  Our 
new  building  will  soon  be  finished  and  another 
colony  of  two  thousand  enthusiastic  souls  will 
be  added  to  our  commonwealth.  If  we  are  going 
to  successfully  carry  on  this  work  we  must  begin 
to  develop  with  infinite  patience  the  details  of 
this  larger  life. 

"I  submit  to  you  some  questions  that  are  pro- 
foundly interesting  to  me. 

"How  are  we  to  prevent  speculation,  wages 
being  unequal  ^  How  is  one  community  to 
exchange    products    with    another .?     How   deter- 


214  COMRADES 

mine  whica  line  of  goods  each  community  shall 
make  ? 

*'  What  is  to  be  done  with  a  strong  minority  who 
are  bitterly  opposed  to  the  action  of  the  majority 
when  we  assume  our  permanent  democratic  form  ? 

"How  are  the  thousand  and  one  matters  per- 
taining to  private  Hfe  and  habits  to  be  settled  with- 
out continually  augmenting  the  power  of  govern- 
ment ?  The  authority  of  the  most  absolute 
despot  who  ever  lived  never  dared  to  sit  on 
questions  we  must  decide.     Can  we  do  it  ? 

"  If  we  are  ever  to  attain  a  condition  of  equality 
must  we  not  forbid  gifts  and  exchanges  ?  For,  if 
men  are  not  to  be  allowed  to  grow  rich  by  trading, 
must  not  the  State  forbid  private  exchanges  of 
every  nature  ? 

"On  the  other  hand,  if  the  State  alone  can  make 
exchanges,  how  can  we  prevent  a  shrewd  man  from 
getting  rich  by  dealing  with  the  State  itself? 

"If  the  State  will  not  make  exchanges,  what  is 
one  to  do  who  has  taken  a  piece  of  property  and 
finds  later  he  has  no  use  for  it?  For  example: 
if  Miss  Blanche  grows  tired  of  looking  at  her  piano, 
which  she  cannot  play,  and  desires  to  exchange  it 
for  a  carriage  and  pair  of  horses,  must  she  continue 
to  walk  because  she  cannot  effect  the  exchange  ? 

"If  we  solve  these  troubles  by  declaring  all 
property  in  common,  who  shall  decide  the  privilege 


Barbara. 


SOME  INTERROGATION  POINTS     215 

of  use  which  the  various  tastes  of  individuals  may 
demand  ? 

"If  each  member  be  allowed  a  fixed  number  of 
units  of  value  for  each  day  of  the  year,  must  he 
spend  them  at  once,  or  will  the  State  keep  an 
account  for  each  individual  ?  If  he  does  n't  spend 
all  his  allowance  by  the  end  of  the  year  can  he  save 
it  and  thus  accumulate  a  private  fortune  ? 

"Or  will  the  State  force  him  to  spend  all,  thus 
encouraging  reckless  habits  ? 

"Suppose  that  a  spendthrift  squanders  his 
allowance  at  once  and  later  breaks  his  leg,  has  it 
amputated,  and  needs  a  hundred  dollars  to  buy  a 
wooden  leg,  how  will  he  get  it  ?  Will  the  State 
make  good  his  recklessness,  force  him  to  buy  his 
own  leg,  or  make  him  hop  through  the  year  on 
one  leg  ?" 

"  I  move  we  adjourn !"  Joe  yelled,  from  the  rear. 

"Second  the  motion!"  Tom  echoed,  from  the 
front. 

The  Bard,  who  had  recovered  sufficiently  to 
attend  on  crutches,  rose  painfully,  adjusted  the 
bandage  on  his  eye,  and  once  more  raised  his 
voice  in  protest. 

"I  demand  freedom  of  speech  on  behalf  of  my 
friend  whom  those  rowdies  are  insulting!"  he 
thundered. 

With  reluctance  the  chairman  rapped  for  order, 


2i6  COMRADES 

and  Diggs  wiped  his  glasses  and  smilingly 
proceeded: 

"We  have  established  a  general  nursery  for  the 
children.  As  they  grow  up,  who  shall  decide  at 
what  age  each  child  shall  begin  to  work  ?  Some 
children  are  slow,  some  quick  in  growth.  Will  the 
new  State  of  Ventura  take  direct  charge  of  all 
children  .'* 

"  Or,  supposing  that  separate  families  are 
allowed  to  live  apart  and  parents  to  govern  their 
own  children,  how  is  each  child  to  be  protected  so 
that  it  gets  its  exact  due  ?  How  is  it  to  be  known 
whether  the  parents  misappropriate  the  fund  of  a 
child,  or  favour  one  more  than  another  ? 

"As  our  numbers  increase  we  cannot  avoid  the 
religious  question." 

"Amen,  O  Lord  !  "  shouted  Methodist  John. 

"A  number  of  good  people  are  clamouring  for 
the  use  of  this  hall  for  religious  services  every  night. 
We  may  deny  their  demands  now.  But  we  cannot 
as  they  increase.  How  are  we  to  meet  them  ? 
Shall  we  tax  the  unbeliever  to  support  a  church  ? 
Or  shall  we  tax  the  believer  to  pay  for  Hghting  this 
hall  for  a  weekly  ball  ? 

"  If  reHgion  is  allowed,  who  shall  determine  how 
many  preachers  each  denomination  can  have  ? 
How  many  sisters  shall  be  allowed  the  Catholics 
and  how  many  monks,  and  how  shall  they  be 


SOME  INTERROGATION  POINTS     217 

distributed  ?  To  whom  shall  they  answer,  the 
State,  or  their  superior  church  dignitary  ? 

"Shall  Protestants  be  allowed  a  sum  equal  to  the 
amount  used  in  support  of  religious  orders  ?  If 
so,  who  shall  determine  how  it  shall  be  expended  ? 

"If  churches  are  built,  who  shall  determine  their 
cost  and  their  style  of  architecture  if  the  State 
erects  them  ? 

"When  our  theatre  is  opened,  shall  admission 
be  free  ?  If  not,  what  shall  be  done  when  the 
receipts  fall  below  expenses  ? 

"What  compensation  can  we  give  to  those  who 
hate  theatres  ?  If  a  small  majority  want  a  dance- 
hall  and  musical  extravaganza,  and  a  minority 
want  only  the  serious  drama,  which  shall  it  be  ? 
Suppose  a  majority  demand  a  race-course  ?  Shall, 
the  resources  of  the  colony  be  used  thus  against  the 
bitter  protest  of  those  who  do  not  believe  in  racing  ? 
Suppose,  just  before  the  race-course  is  finished,  the 
majority  become  a  minority  and  the  work  is 
stopped  —  has  the  new  majority  the  right  to 
destroy  the  property  and  accumulate  a  new  fund 
for  a  different  purpose  ? 

"  Must  a  doctor  always  come  when  he  's  called  — 
even  for  imaginary,  hysterical,  and  foolish  causes  ? 
Will  the  people  vote  for  and  elect  their  own  doctor, 
or  will  he  be  assigned  ?  If  the  doctor  proves  a 
failure,  how  will  they  get  rid  of  him  ?     If  they  get 


2i8  COMRADES 

rid  of  him,  how  can  he  be  saddled  on  another 
community  ?  Shall  one  community  suffer  at  the 
hands  of  an  incompetent  man,  while  a  physician 
of  genius  ministers  to  the  one  next  door  ?  If  a 
great  surgeon  is  needed  by  ten  persons  at  the  same 
hour,  who  shall  decide  which  operation  he  shall 
perform,  and  who  shall  live  or  die  in  consequence  ? 

"Who  shall  say  when  a  doctor  is  not  fit  to 
practise  ? 

"We  have  just  established  a  weekly  paper. 
Within  a  year  the  population  will  need  a  daily. 
Who  shall  say  when  an  editor  is  competent  ? 

"Some  men  fail  in  early  life  and  make  their 
great  success  later.  At  what  period,  or  after  how 
long  a  trial,  shall  it  be  decided  that  a  man  is  a 
failure  and  must  quit  his  chosen  or  assigned  work  ? 

"Many  young  men  promise  well  at  first  and 
make  later  miserable  failures.  Many  are  failures 
at  first  and  make  great  successes.  Who  shall 
decide  which  to  continue  and  which  to  stop  ?  If  a 
youth  is  forced  to  abandon  a  work  on  which  he  has 
set  his  heart,  how  can  he  be  made  of  service  to  the 
community  in  a  work  he  loathes  ? 

"We  must  continue  to  make  inventions,  or  pro- 
gress ceases.  When  the  cost  of  experiments  is 
greater  than  the  total  income  of  a  citizen,  how  can 
the  inventor  bear  the  expense  ^  Will  any  man 
sacrifice  his  own  funds  and  his  own  time  on  an 


SOME  INTERROGATION  POINTS     219 

uncertain    experiment   when   he    can    receive   no 
benefit  from  the  work  ? 

"  Many  men  are  working  now  over  problems  all 
other  men  believe  cannot  be  solved.  If  the  State 
must  furnish  the  capital  to  make  the  experiments  of 
inventors,  who  will  be  responsible  for  the  enormous 
waste  of  treasure  on  senseless  and  useless  and 
impossible  inventions  ? 

"Who  can  decide  whether  ideas  proposed  are 
useless  or  impossible  ?  All  great  inventions  which 
have  revolutionized  the  history  of  ages  have  been 
laughed   at  by  the    world. 

"How  can  we  punish  the  jobbery  and  waste 
and  corruption  which  may  enter  from  experiments 
which  are  not  made  in  good  faith  .?  Cannot  any 
group  of  shrewd  men  pretend  to  have  invented  a 
machine  which  will  save  over  half  the  labour  of  the 
colony,  and  spend  millions  on  this  imaginary 
invention  which  proves  useless  f  If  such  an 
abuse  of  power  should  be  made,  would  not  the 
effect  be  to  end  forever  all  experiments  and  stop 
the  progress  of  the  world  I 

"When  many  cities  have  been  built  and  one  is 
more  healthful,  beautiful,  and  cultured  than  the 
others,  shall  those  who  live  in  the  poorer  cities 
be  allowed  to  move  or  be  forced  to  remain  where 
they  are  ?  How  are  sculptors,  artists,  musicians, 
or  architects  to  be  apportioned  among   different 


220  COMRADES 

communities  ?  Suppose  they  all  demand  the  right 
to  Hve  in  one  place  ? 

"Will  the  State  pubHsh  all  books  by  all  authors, 
or  will  selections  be  made  ?  If  all  books  are 
published  will  not  vast  sums  be  wasted  in  printing 
worthless  trash  ?  If  selections  are  made,  what 
unprejudiced,  infallible  board  can  be  found  com- 
petent to  decide  ? 

"If  a  man  chooses  to  be  a  writer,  how  many 
years  shall  he  be  allowed  to  work  at  his  occupation 
if  in  the  opinion  of  the  judges  he  shows  no  talent  ? 

"Will  the  State  permit  freedom  of  opinion  in  the 
columns  of  its  papers  and  the  books  printed  ? 
If  so,  what  shall  hinder  a  treasonable  conspiracy 
from  destroying  respect  for  its  authority  ?  If 
opinions  are  to  be  edited  by  the  State,  how 
can  the  freedom  of  the  press  be  maintained  ? 

"What  shall  be  done  with  the  Negro,  the 
Chinaman,  and  the  Indian  when  their  numbers 
largely  increase  ?  Will  these  inferior  races  be 
placed  on  an  absolute  equality  with  the  Aryan 
and  will  they  be  allowed  to  freely  intermarry  ?  If 
so,  can  the  new  mongrel  race  maintain  itself  against 
the  progress  and  power  of  the  great  high-bred 
races  of  men  ? 

"Are  women  to  receive  the  same  allowance 
as  men,  and  married  women  the  sam.e  as  spinsters  ? 

"Shall  men  and  women  be  required  to  marry 


SOME  INTERROGATION  POINTS    221 

or  be  allowed  to  remain  single  ?  Shall  all  women 
be  made  to  work  ?  If  it  continues  to  cost  more 
to  support  a  single  woman  than  a  married  one, 
how  can  equality  of  rights  be  maintained  ? 

*'As  food  is  the  basis  of  all  supply,  many  must 
be  farmers.  How  shall  this  great  industry 
be  conducted  ultimately  ?  Can  we  allow  individ- 
uals to  work  small  farms  ?  If  so,  who  determines 
the  kind  of  crop  each  farm  shall  raise  ?  How 
much  land  will  a  man  be  required  to  work  ? 

"An  Italian  from  the  north  of  Italy  can  raise 
more  on  one  acre  than  an  Irishman  can  on  ten 
— whose  method  shall  be  used,  and  whose  capacity 
be  taken  for  the  standard  ? 

"How  many  hours  shall  constitute  a  day  on 
the  farm  ?  Shall  a  farmhand  get  only  a  dollar 
a  day  and  a  bricklayer  two  ?  If  so,  where  is  the 
justice  and  equality  of  such  an  arrangement  ? 

"Can  a  farmer  be  allowed  vacations?  If  so, 
must  he  ask  permission  where  to  go  ?  If  not, 
suppose  he  goes  at  seedtime  or  harvest,  gets 
drunk,  stays  two  weeks  or  two  months,  and 
destroys  a  year's  crop  ?  Who  shall  pay  for  this 
enormous  damage,  and  how  shall  the  penalty  be 
enforced  ? 

"Suppose  a  poor  manager  spoils  the  crop  on 
an  immense  tract  of  land,  how  can  any  adequate 
penalty   be   enforced  ? 


222  COMRADES 

"Shall  one  general  manager  decide  what  kind 
of  crops  to  raise  on  each  piece  of  land  or  each 
manager  decide  for  himself?  Suppose  they  all 
raise  hay " 

"Then  you  'U  have  plenty  to  eat  the  balance  of 
your  life — you  and  all  the  other  jackasses  in  the 
colony!"  old  Tom  growled. 

A  laugh  rippled  the  crowd  and  the  speaker 
paused  in  angry  confusion.  For  the  first  time 
he  lost  his  temper  and  stood  glaring  at  his  tor- 
mentors in  silent  rage. 

Norman  whispered  to  Barbara: 

"Wolf  has  urged  me  for  some  time  to  sup- 
press   this    meeting.     Shall  I  do  it.'"' 

"Yes.  It 's  a  nuisance.  I  agree  with  him. 
Do  it." 

Norman  rose  just  as  Diggs  sat  down  choking 
with  anger. 

"Comrades,"  the  young  leader  said,  in  com- 
manding tones.  "I  think  this  assembly  has 
completed  its  work  of  discussion.  The  questions 
propounded  here  to-night  are  important.  We 
will  meet  and  solve  them  in  due  time,  as  we 
come  to  them.  What  this  community  needs 
now  is  the  spirit  of  cooperation,  of  loyalty,  and 
industry.  We  have  been  assigned  our  tasks  for 
the  year.  Now  every  man  to  his  work!  We 
have  had  enough  of  wrangling  and  questioning. 


SOME  INTERROGATION  POINTS   223 

Let 's  live  and  breathe  awhile.  The  executive 
council  has  decided  to  close  the  weekly  sessions 
of  the  assembly  until  the  annual  election  of 
officers  next  spring.  Hereafter  a  musicale  and 
dance  will  be  held  both  Monday  and  Friday 
evenings." 

The  young  folks  broke  into  hearty  applause 
led  by  old  Tom  and  his  partner  Joe. 

The  Bard  sprang  to  his  feet,  his  one  good  eye 
blazing  with  inspired  wrath. 

"And  I  denounce  this  act  of  tyranny  as  the 
climax  of  a  series  of  infamies!  You  have  now 
forged  the  chains  of  slavery  on  every  limb. 
Free  speech  has  been  suppressed  —  in  God's 
name,  what  next.^" 

But  the  crowd  only  laughed.  The  Bard  had 
protested  so  often  his  words  ceased  to  have  weight. 
The  halo  of  romance  that  once  wreathed  his 
classic  brow  had  faded  with  the  painful  dis- 
illusioning which  followed  a  thrashing  his  wife 
had  given  him.  He  was  a  prophet  without  honour 
and  his  warnings  fell  on  deaf  ears. 

Wolf  and  Catherine  stood  at  the  door  with  a 
word  of  cheer,  a  friendly  nod,  or  a  silent  pressure 
of  the  hand  for  every  one  who  emerged  from  the 
hall.  These  two  alone  at  every  turn  grew  in 
prestige  among  all  jarring  factions  of  the  strugglino- 
colony. 


T 


CHAPTER  XXV 

THE    MASTER   HAND 

HE  whole  machinery  of  the  colony  responded 
instantly  to  the  grip  of  the  master's  hand. 
It  was  the  one  thing  needed  to  insure  successful 
progress. 

When  the  Brotherhood  realized  that  the  young 
poet-athlete  was  not  merely  a  love-sick  dreamer 
and  theorist,  but  a  man  of  quick  decisions,  of  firm 
and  inflexible  will,  and  the  power  to  execute  his 
will,  they  fell  in  line,  caught  the  step,  and  order 
emerged  from  chaos. 

When  a  crisis  called  for  decision  he  made  it 
with  lightning  rapidity  and  stuck  to  it.  The 
situation  demanded  a  dictatorship  for  the  moment, 
and  he  did  not  hesitate  to  assume  it.  He  saw 
before  him  sure  success.  If  fools  and  cranks 
interfered  with  his  plans  he  would  crush  and  push 
them  aside.  The  consciousness  of  power  and  its 
daily  exercise  developed  his  faculties  to  their 
highest  tension.  His  mind  began  to  arrange 
every  detail  of  the  vast  and  complicated  system 
of  the  new  social  scheme.  Men  became  the 
mere  tools  with  which  he  would  work  out  the 

224 


THE  MASTER  HAND  225 

revolution  in  human  society.  Every  scrap  of 
knowledge  he  had  ever  gained  flashed  through 
his  excited  imagination  and  fell  into  its  place 
in  the  creation  of  the  new  order. 

He  put  the  machine-shops  to  work  constructing 
the  big  gold  dredge  on  which  he  had  experimented 
one  summer. 

He  had  a  pet  scheme  of  farming  which  had 
come  into  his  mind  from  watching  his  father's 
gardener  the  year  before  raise  the  most  delicious 
cantaloups  he  had  ever  tasted.  He  discovered 
the  secret  of  their  marvellous  sweetness  and 
leaped  to  an  instantaneous  conclusion.  He  had 
the  opportunity  to  test  this  inspiration  now  on  a 
scale  as  vast  as  his  dreams. 

He  called  the  superintendents  and  overseers 
of  the  farm  together,  and  asked  their  plans  for  the 
crop  on  the  five  hundred  acres  of  fertile  lands 
under  cultivation.  They  gave  him  their  schedule 
for    a  variety  of  crops. 

**  Won't  this  soil  grow  cantaloups.?"  he  asked. 

They  all  reported  that  it  would. 

*'Then  I  suggest  that  the  entire  acreage  be 
planted  in  these  vines." 

To  a  man  they  declared  the  plan  absurd. 

"But  suppose,"  he  persisted,  *'that  we  raise 
and  send  to  the  East  the  most  delicious  melon 
they  have  ever  tasted,  and  suppose  we  get  three 


226  COMRADES 

dollars  a  crate,  we  will  make  three  hundred 
dollars  an  acre  and  our  first  crop  will  be  worth 
one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars." 

They  laughed  at  him. 

**Do  you  know,"  smilingly  inquired  the  super- 
mtendent,  "how  much  it  will  cost  to  plant  and 
harvest  such  a  crop  ?" 

"I  should  say  twenty-five  dollars  an  acre," 
he   replied. 

**  Double   it,"  he  cried. 

"Very  well,  fifty  dollars  an  acre,"  Norman 
agreed.  **In  round  numbers  it  will  cost  us 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars.  That  leaves  a 
profit  of  more  than  a  hundred  thousand,  does  n't 
it?" 

Again  the  superintendent  laughed. 

*'And  would  you  risk  this  enormous  sum  on 
one  experiment  ?  Suppose  your  melons  would 
not  be  sweet  ?" 

"There  is  no  such  possibility,"  the  young 
enthusiast  declared.  "Their  sweetness  depends 
solely  on  two  things  —  the  quality  of  the  seed  and 
the  quantity  of  rain  which  falls  on  them  while 
they  are  growing.  We  are  wasting  a  supreme 
opportunity.  No  rain  falls  in  Ventura  during 
the  summer.  We  get  our  water  to  the  roots  by 
irrigation,  not  by  rainfall.  Get  the  right  seed 
and   your   melons   must   be   perfect.     This   is    a 


THE  MASTER  HAND  227 

scientific  fact  I  have  seen  demonstrated.  Try 
it  on  a  vast  scale  and  success  is  sure." 

They  voted  unanimously  against  the  proposi- 
tion. Norman  insisted.  The  superintendent 
resigned  and  appealed  to  the  executive  council. 
Wolf  and  Catherine,  Tom  and  Barbara  advised 
against  placing  so  much  capital  in  a  single 
enterprise. 

"I  've  got  to  make  you  rich  and  successful  in 
spite  of  yourselves,"  Norman  finally  declared. 
"For  the  present  I  control  these  funds  and  I  'm 
going  to  plant  this  crop.  So  that  settles  it. 
I  *m  sorry  we  can't  agree." 

His  instantaneous  decision  fairly  took  Wolf's 
breath. 

Barbara  laughed  and  congratulated  him. 

"At  least  you  have  the  courage  of  your  convic- 
tions.    I  can't  help  admiring  it." 

As  further  opposition  was  useless,  the  order  was 
put  into  execution.  The  superintendent  finally 
caught  the  young  man's  spirit,  withdrew  his 
resignation,  and  undertook  the  work  with 
enthusiasm. 

At  the  end  of  the  summer  the  success  of  the 
colony  was  astounding.  The  wildest  prediction 
of  the  young  leader  fell  below  the  facts.  The 
crop  of  cantaloups  averaged  one  hundred  and 
five  crates  to  the  acre,  and  brought  three  dollars 


228  COMRADES 

and  a  half  a  crate.  The  net  profit  on  the  melons 
reached  the  enormous  total  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  dollars. 

The  men  who  raised  the  crop  and  added  this 
wealth  to  the  treasury  of  the  colony  were  not  slow 
in  demanding  an  immediate  readjustment  of  the 
scale  of  wages. 

Two  hundred  and  fifty  men  had  done  all  the 
work  of  planting,  cultivating,  harvesting  this 
crop  and  added  ten  times  as  much  to  the  year's 
income  as  the  combined  labour  of  all  the  other 
members  of  the  colony. 

Brick-masons  were  receiving  two  dollars  a  day 
and  farm-hands  one  dollar.  The  miners  who  were 
digging  for  gold  in  the  mountain  ranges  and  on  the 
beaches  were  receiving  five  dollars  a  day  and  had 
added  as  yet  not  a  single  dollar  to  the  wealth  of  the 
community.  They  had  discovered  gold  in  three 
new  districts  and  thousands  of  dollars  had  been 
wasted  in  vain  efforts  to  make  it  pay.  The  farmers 
protested  bitterly  against  such  waste,  and  de- 
manded the  equalization  of  wages. 

Their  spokesman  astonished  Norman  by  the 
vehemence  and  audacity  of  their  demands: 

"If  Socialism  means  justice,"  he  shouted,  "now 
is  the  time  to  prove  it!  Labour  creates  all  value. 
We  have  created  one  hundred  and  fifty  thou- 
sand   dollars'    worth    of  wealth    for   the    colony 


THE  MASTER  HAND  229 

and  we  have  received  a  mere  pittance.  If  we 
created  this  wealth " 

"Wait  a  minute,  comrades,"  Norman  inter- 
rupted, with  irritation.  "Why  should  you  continue 
to  repeat  that  foolish  assertion  ?  You  did  n't 
create  this  wealth." 

"Then  I  'd  like  to  know  who  did  .?"  shouted  the 
orator.  "  We  turned  the  soil,  placed  the  fertilizers, 
planted  every  seed,  cultivated  every  vine,  pulled 
every  melon,  packed  and  placed  them  on  the 
steamer.  If  we  did  n't  make  the  wealth,  who 
did?" 

"I  did,"  the  young  leader  declared.  "I  con- 
ceived the  possibility  of  this  crop.  I  tried  to  per- 
suade your  superintendent  and  overseers.  They 
had  no  faith.  I  forced  them  to  plant  these  parti- 
cular seeds  against  their  own  wishes.  Your  labour 
is  a  fixed  thing  year  in  and  year  out.  All  men  must 
work  or  die.  All  life  is  a  struggle  thus  with  tooth 
and  nail  for  a  living.  The  creator  of  wealth  is  the 
superior  intelligence  that  conceives  something 
better  than  this  clodhopper's  daily  task.  You  did 
what  you  were  told  to  do.  Your  hands  would  have 
worked  just  as  many  hours  at  labour  just  as  tire- 
some over  a  crop  of  beans  that  would  n't  have 
paid  a  profit  at  all  this  year.  Wealth  belongs  to 
its  creator.  I  made  the  crop,  your  hands  were 
the    mere    automata    which    my  brain  directed. 


230  COMRADES 

Your  demands  are  absurd.  I  refuse  to  consider 
them  or  to  permit  their  discussion." 

The  farmers  refused  point-blank  to  submit  to 
this  decision,  and  voted  unanimously  to  quit  work 
until  they  were  given  justice.  Every  plough 
stopped  and  the  entire  machinery  of  food  produc- 
tion came  to  a  dead  standstill. 

Norman  threatened  to  refuse  them  admission 
to  the  dining-hall  unless  they  returned  to  work, 
and  they  boldly  replied  that  they  would  smash  the 
door  down  and  take  what  was  their  own. 

Had  the  farmers  been  alone  in  their  demands  for 
an  equalization  of  wages,  the  situation  would  have 
been  easier  to  handle.  But  discontent  over  the 
question  of  wages  had  been  growing  steadily 
since  the  day  of  the  decision  that  wages  should  be 
unequal. 

The  distinctions  of  wealth  and  poverty  were 
rapidly  making  their  appearance  as  in  the  old 
world.  The  cook  had  married  a  scrubwoman 
and  the  scrubwoman's  daughter  had  married 
the  drainman  who  had  charge  of  the  sewers. 
The  combine  income  of  the  two  highest- 
salaried  workers  in  the  colony  had  at  once 
formed  the  nucleus  of  a  new  aristocracy  of 
wealth. 

The  strike  pf  the  entire  farming  division  of  the 
colony  was  the  match  thrown  in  the  powder  maga- 


THE  MASTER  HAND  231 

zine.     Discontent  flamed  in  every  department  of 
labour. 

The  demand  for  absolute  equality  of  wages 
became  resistless.  It  was  the  only  thing  which 
could  once  more  bring  order  out  of  chaos. 

Norman  called  a  meeting  of  the  general  assembly 
and  submitted  the  question  for  their  discussion  and 
decision.  The  debate  was  long,  fierce,  and  bitter. 
In  vain  did  the  young  leader  plead  with  those  who 
were  receiving  the  highest  rates  that  the  profits 
of  the  colony  would  be  greater  and  that  each  would 
share  alike  in  the  total  wealth  of  the  community. 
They  denounced  the  proposed  act  as  the  climax 
of  infamy. 

The  chef  was  furious. 

"You  give  me  the  wages  of  a  clodhopper  and 
ask  me  to  prepare  a  table  fit  for  a  king.  Well, 
try  it,  and  see  what  you  get." 

He  sat  down  repeating  his  threat  in  a  series 
of  endless  announcements  to  the  people  around 
him. 

"I  think  he  '11  poison  us  all  if  you  pass  this  law,'* 
Barbara  whispered. 

"The  farmers  will  run  us  through  with  their 
pitchforks  if  we  don't,"  he  laughed. 

"Poisoning  is  the  easier  way,"  she  sighed. 

The  leader  of  the  brass  band  raised  the  biggest 
row  of  all.     From  the  first  these  men  had  refused 


232  COMRADES 

to  lift  their  hand  to  do  a  thing  except  to  play  at 
stated  hours  each  day  and  furnish  the  music  for 
the  three  evenings  of  social  amusement. 

"You  place  me  on  an  equality  with  the  lout 
who  holds  a  calf  or  the  clodhopper  who  holds  a 
plough  —  I,  who  feed  the  soul  with  ravishing 
melody  —  I,  who  lift  man  from  earth  to  heaven  on 
the  wings  of  angels!"  The  band  leader  swelled 
with  righteous  wrath  and  sat  down  beside  the  cook 
who  was  still  muttering  incoherently: 

"Let  'em  try  it  —  and  see  what  they  get!" 

Yet,  in  spite  of  the  fierce  threats  of  the  cook, 
the  scrubwoman,  the  drainman,  the  musician, 
and  all  the  high-salaried  favourites  of  labour, 
the  inevitable  occurred.  When  put  to  a  vote 
equal  wages  were  established  by  an  overwhelming 
majority. 

Each  member  of  the  colony,  man,  woman,  and 
child,  was  voted  free  food,  clothes,  and  shelter, 
and  a  credit  of  five  hundred  dollars  a  year  at  the 
Brotherhood  store. 

The  executive  council  was  abolished  and  in  its 
place  a  board  of  governors  established,  composed 
of  the  heads  of  each  department  of  labour  and 
presided  over  by  two  regents,  a  man  and  a  woman, 
elected  by  the  general  assembly.  Norman  and 
Barbara  were  elected  regents  without  opposition, 
and  the  old  heads  of  each  department  of  labour 


THE  MASTER  HAND  233 

placed  on  the  board  of  governors  to  serve  until  the 
approaching  annual  election. 

The  assembly  proposed: 

"Article  I.  of  the  constitution  of  the  new  State 
of  Ventura  as  follows : 

**  Every  citizen  of  the  State  must  labour  accord- 
ing to  his  ability.  Those  who  can  work  and  will 
not  shall  be  made  to  work." 

No  man  who  voted  this  simple  and  obviously 
just  law  could  dream  of  the  tremendous  results. 
It  was  merely  the  enactment  into  statutory  law  of 
the  first  principle  of  an  effective  Socialism: 

"  From  every  man  according  to  his  ability,  unto 
every  man  according  to  his  needs." 

The  first  obvious  requirement  of  such  a  law  was 
an  immediate  increase  of  the  police  and  detective 
force  at  the  command  of  the  regents  and  the  board 
of  governors. 

Norman  thanked  the  assembly  for  the  prompt- 
ness and  thoroughness  which  had  characterized 
cheir  work,  and  closed  his  congratulations  with  a 
sentence  of  peculiarly  sinister  meaning  to  the  man 
who  had  ears  to  hear. 

"Hereafter,  comrades,  we  can  move  forward 
without  another  pause.  There  can  never  be 
another  strike  on  the  island  of  Ventura.  The 
State  is  now  supreme." 

The  Wolfs,  who  had  modestly  declined  all  oflSce, 


234  COMRADES 

were  omnipresent  during  the  long  sessions  of  the 
assembly,  which  had  lasted  two  days.  Every- 
where they  had  counselled  compromise,  for- 
bearance, good  fellowship,  moving  quietly  from 
group  to  group  in  the  big  hall,  and  always  winning 
new   friends. 

Wolf's  gnarled  hand  gripped  Norman's  at  the 
close  of  the  meeting  as  he  bent  his  massive  head 
and  whispered: 

"A  great  day's  work,  Comrade  Chief  —  one 
that  will  make  history." 

The  young  leader's  face  clouded  as  he  slowly 
replied : 

"  I  wish  I  were  sure  that  it  will  be  history  of  the 
right  kind." 

"You  doubt  it.''"  the  old  leader  asked 
incredulously. 

"It  all  depends  on  our  leadership." 

"With  your  hand  on  the  helm"  —  Wolf  paused 
and  smiled  curiously  —  "the  ship  of  State  is  safe." 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

AT  THE   PARTING  OF  THE  WAYS 

A  GAIN  the  colony  entered  on  a  period  of  active 
l\.  and  efficient  industry.  Every  man  was  at 
his  post  and  did  the  work  assigned  him. 

Eight  hours  was  fixed  as  a  working  day  in  all 
departments.  The  first  acts  of  insubordination 
were  promptly  suppressed.  The  discipHne  of  an 
army  was  strictly  enforced  —  the  guard-house 
and  whipping-post  were  found  sufficient. 

No  report  except  the  most  favourable  had  ever 
reached  the  outside  world,  and  thousands  of  appli- 
cants in  San  Francisco  were  clamouring  for  admis- 
sion. The  new  colony  house  with  accommodation 
for  two  thousand  had  been  completed,  and  another 
of  like  size  was  under  way. 

Wolf  had  urged  Norman  to  admit  a  new  colony 
at  once  and  prepare  for  the  third.  But  the 
difficulties  of  government  and  the  fights  within  the 
Brotherhood  had  alarmed  the  young  leader.  He 
hesitated,  and  the  big  new  building  as  yet  remained 
empty. 

As  the  day  for  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
assembly  drew  near,  doubts  of  the  future  grew 

835 


236  COMRADES 

darker  In  the  young  regent's  mind.  He  had  the 
power,  under  the  deed  of  gift,  to  prolong  the 
experiment  another  year,  holding  the  title  to  the 
property  for  further  experiment,  or  divide  the 
profits  between  the  members  and  reconvey  the  gift 
back  to  its  donors,  or  by  deed  convey  at  once  the 
whole  property  to  the  Brotherhood  and  end  his 
trusteeship. 

Which  should  it  be  ? 

His  faith  in  his  fellow  man  had  been  shaken  by 
the  events  of  the  past  year,  and  yet  the  colony  had 
succeeded.  Its  wealth  was  great  and  its  prospects 
greater.  With  the  perfect  discipline  recently 
inaugurated  and  wisely  administered,  no  limit 
could  be  fixed  to  the  productive  power  of  such  an 
organization. 

That  he  should  hesitate  a  moment  after  the 
achievements  of  the  year  was  a  stunning  shock  to 
Wolf.  The  moment  he  realized  the  import  of  the 
crisis,  he  at  once  appealed  to  Barbara. 

"You  alone  can  save  us,  child,"  he  urged. 
*'You  must  act  at  once.  You  promised  to  lead 
him  captive  in  your  train.  You  have  failed  for 
one  reason  only " 

"Yes,  1  know,"  Barbara  interrupted.  "I 
have  n't  tried.     I  confess  it." 

"There  is  not  a  moment  to  lose,"  Wolf  urged. 
**  We  are  entering  on  the  most  wonderful  develop- 


AT  THE  PARTING  OF  THE  WAYS    237 

ment  in  the  history  of  the  human  race.  The  only 
thing  lacking  for  its  triumphant  achievement  is 
faith  and  leadership.  Secure  from  our  young 
dreamer  the  title  to  this  island  and  you  will  achieve 
an  immortal  deed  —  you  will  not  hesitate  or  fail  ?" 

*'No,"  was  the  firm  answer.  "1  will  not  fail. 
I  'm  going  with  him  to-day  on  a  mountain  climb. 
Just  for  fun,  if  for  nothing  else,  I  '11  test  my  power.'* 

"You  '11  report  to  me  the  moment  you  return  ?'* 
Wolf  urged. 

"Yes,"  she  answered,  dreamily. 

Norman  found  Barbara  in  a  mood  resistlessly 
charming.  She  seemed  to  have  utterly  forgotten 
that  she  was  grown  up  or  had  ever  been  the  herald 
of  a  revolutionary  cause.  She  was  a  laughing 
girl  of  eighteen  again,  with  the  joy  of  youth 
sparkling  in  her  eyes  and  laughter  ringing  in  every 
accent  of  her  voice. 

Instantly  the  mood  of  the  man  reflected  hers. 
He  threw  to  the  winds  the  cares  and  worries  of  the 
great  adventure  that  had  brought  them  together, 
and  the  island  of  Ventura  became  the  enchanted 
isle  of  song  and  story. 

"We  shall  be  just  two  children  to-day  —  shall 
we  not?"  she  asked. 

"Yes,"  he  responded  gaily,  "two  children  who 
have  run  away  from  school,  tired  of  books,  with 
hearts  hungry  for  the  breath  of  the  fields. " 


238  COMRADES 

For  half  an  hour  hill  and  dale  rang  with  laugh- 
ter as  they  ascended  the  path  of  the  brook.  They 
came  to  a  wide  expanse  of  still  water.  And  Nor- 
man said  with  a  bantering  laugh: 

"We  leave  the  stream  here  and  climb  the  hill 
to  the  left.  1  must  wade  and  carry  you  across 
this  place  if  you  're  not  afraid  ?" 

"Who  's  afraid  ?"  she  asked  with  scorn. 

"All  right." 

He  removed  his  shoes,  and  rolled  his  trousers 
high. 

"Now  your  arm  around  my  neck,  and  no 
jumping  or  screaming  until  we  're  safe  on  the  other 
shore." 

She  hesitated  just  an  instant,  blushed,  and 
slipped  her  soft  round  arm  about  his  neck  as  he 
lifted  her  slight  figure  and  began  to  pick  his  way 
across  the  treacherous  surface  of  the  slippery 
bottom.  His  foot  slipped  on  a  muddy  stone. 
She  gave  a  scream,  and  both  arms  gripped  his 
neck  in  sudden  fear.  Her  burning  cheek  pressed 
his  forehead. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  she  cried,  blushing  red. 
"  I  did  n't  mean  to  smother  you." 

"And  I  distinctly  said  no  jumping  or  scream- 
ing, didn't  I?" 

"I  won't  do  it  again  —  oh,  dear!" 

Again  both  arms  clasped  his  neck  in  a  strangling, 


AT  THE  PARTING  OF  THE  WAYS    239 

smothering  hug,  which  he  purposely  prolonged 
with  an  extra  sHp  which  might  have  been  avoided. 

Her  face  was  scarlet  now  and  the  blushes 
refused  to  go.  They  lingered  in  great  red  bunches 
after  he  had  carefully  placed  her  on  the  smooth 
grass  on  the  opposite  bank. 

*' Honestly,  I  *m  afraid  I  disgraced  myself, 
didn't  I?"  she  asked,  timidly. 

"No.  It  was  all  my  fault,"  he  replied.  *'I 
did  it  on  purpose." 

"Perhaps  I  choked  you  on  purpose,  too!" 
she  answered,  blushing  again. 

Norman  looked   at  her  thoughtfully. 

"You  know  I  never  saw  you  blush  before. 
I  like  it." 

"Is  it  becoming  ?"  she  asked,  demurely. 

"Very." 

"You  know  I  was  never  in  a  man's  arms 
before." 

"And  you  didn't  like  it?"  he  asked,  with  a 
smile  playing  around  his  mouth. 

"To  tell  you  the  truth,  I  found  it  very  awkward.'* 

"Awkward  .f"'  he  laughed. 

"And  exciting,"  she  confessed. 

"Shall  we  repeat  it  until  you  are  used  to  it  V 

"Thank  you,  I  'm  sufficiently  amused  for 
to-day,"  she  answered,  soberly.  "And  now  we 
will  put  on  our  shoes  and  be  good  children." 


240  COMRADES 

For  the  rest  of  the  journey  Norman  found  her 
strangely  silent.  Now  and  then  he  caught  her 
looking  at  him  furtively  out  of  her  big  brown 
eyes,  as  if  she  had  just  met  him  and  was  half 
afraid  to  go  further. 

He  found  himself  particularly  sensitive  to  her 
moods.  The  moment  she  became  silent  and 
thoughtful  her  impulses  ruled  his,  and  not  a 
word  was  spoken  for  a  mile.  Scarcely  two 
sentences  passed  between  them  until  they  reached 
the  summit  of  the  range  and  sat  down  on  the  cliff 
overhanging  the  sea. 

This  cliff  was  one  of  the  numerous  headlands 
which  thrust  their  peaks  in  almost  perpendicular 
lines  sheer  into  the  ocean. 

They  sat  for  an  hour  and  drank  in  the  peace 
and  solemn  grandeur  of  the  infinite  blue  expanse. 

"What  a  little  world,  the  one  in  which  we  live 
down  there  and  fret  and  fume,"  he  whispered. 
"The  one  we  think  so  big  when  in  the  thick 
of  the  fight!  We  forget  the  dim  expanse  of 
ocean  kissing  ocean  —  encircling  the  earth  —  of 
the  skies  that  kiss  the  sea  and  lead  on  and  on 
into  those  great  silent  deeps  where  a  universe  of 
worlds  roll  in  grandeur!" 

"Yet  is  n't  man  greater  than  all  these  worlds  ?" 
she  asked,  with  sudden  elation. 

"If  he  is  a  man,  yes;  a  real  man  with  the  con- 


AT  THE  PARTING  OF  THE  WAYS    241 

scious  divine  power  in  his  soul  which  says,  I 
will!  Isn't  that  the  only  power  worth  having? 
The  herd  of  cattle  we  call  men,  whose  souls 
have  never  spoken  that  divine  word  of  character 
and  of  action  —  are  they  men  ?  Have  they 
souls  at  all  ?  Is  it  worth  the  while  of  those  who 
have  to  fret  and  fuss  and  fume  trying  to  make 
something  out  of  nothing;?" 

Barbara  turned  suddenly,  looked  into  Norman's 
eyes,  and  asked  in  anxious  tones: 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"That  I  'm  thinking  of  giving  up  this 
experiment." 

"Now  that  you  are  just  making  it  a  marvellous 
success  ?'* 

"But  is  it  a  success?  What  is  the  good  of 
achievement  for  any  community  if  that  achieve- 
ment springs  from  the  will  of  one  man  ?  If  their 
souls  are  in  subjection  to  his,  has  he  not  degraded 
them  ?  Is  life  inside  or  outside  ?  Are  we 
Socialists  not  struggling  merely  with  what  is 
outside  ?  Are  we  not  in  reality  struggling  back 
into  the  primitive  savage  herd  out  of  which 
individual  manhood  has  slowly  emerged  ?  I  'm 
puzzled.  I  'm  afraid  to  go  on.  I  Ve  asked  you 
to  come  up  here  to-day  to  tell  me  what  to  do." 

Barbara's   breath   came   quick. 

"You    wish    me    to    decide    the    momentous 


242  COMRADES 

question  of  our  colony  ?  Perhaps  the  future  of 
humanity  ?" 

"Yes,  just  that.  You  are  a  woman.  Women 
know  things  by  intuition  rather  than  by  reason. 
I  *m  growing  more  and  more  to  believe  that  we 
only  know  what  we  feel.  I  trust  you  as  I  would 
not  trust  my  own  judgment  just  now.  I  'm 
going  to  ask  you,  in  the  purity  and  beauty  of 
your  woman's  soul,  to  read  the  future  for  me. 
I  'm  going  to  allow  you  to  decide  this  question. 
Feel  with  me  its  difficulties  and  its  prospects, 
trust  utterly  to  your  own  intuitions,  and  you  will 
decide  right." 

Barbara  began  to  tremble  and  her  voice  was 
very  low  as  she  bent  toward  him. 

"Why  do  you  trust  me  with  the  greatest  question 
of  your  life  with  such  perfect  faith  .?" 

He  took  her  hand,  bowed,  and  kissed  it. 

"  Because,  Barbara,  I  love  you,"  he  whispered 
with  passionate  tenderness. 

The  girl  looked  away  and  smiled  while  her 
heart  beat  in  an  ecstasy  of  triumph. 

"And  this  is  one  of  the  things  that  has  puzzled 
me  most,"  he  went  on,  rapidly.  "Every  hope 
and  dream  my  soul  has  cherished  of  you  has 
been  at  war  with  this  scheme  of  herding  men  and 
women  together.  I  want  you  all  my  very  own. 
I  want  to  seize  you  now  in  my  arms  and  carry 


AT  THE  PARTING  OF  THE  WAYS     243 

you  a  thousand  miles  away  from  every  vulgar 
crowd  on  earth.  A  hundred  times  I  've  been 
on  the  point  of  telling  you  that  I  love  you,  but 
I  drew  back  and  sealed  my  lips.  It  was  treason 
to  the  Cause.  For  how  can  this  cause  of  the 
herd  be  one  with  the  heart-cry  of  the  man  for  the 
one  woman  on  earth  his  mate  ^  I  've  tried  to 
reconcile  them,  but  I  can't.  Come,  dearest,  you 
are  my  nobler,  better  self,  the  part  of  me  I  've  been 
searching  for  and  have  found.  You  must  answer 
this  cry  for  light  and  guidance.  Your  voice  shall 
be  to  me  the  voice  of  God.  Shall  I  go  back  to 
the  faith  of  my  fathers  in  the  old  world,  and 
will  you  come  with  me  —  my  wife,  my  mate, 
my  life  ?  Or  shall  we  remain  here,  and  hand 
in  hand  fight  this  battle  to  a  finish  ?  The  one 
thing  that  is  unthinkable  is  that  I  shall  lose 
you.  I  lay  my  life  at  your  feet.  Do  with  it  as 
you  will." 

Barbara  tried  to  speak  and  a  sob  choked  her 
into  silence.  She  lifted  her  head  at  last  and 
spoke  timidly. 

*'I  thought  it  would  be  easy.  But  I  find  it 
very,  very  difficult  —  this  settling  the  destiny  of 
a  man.  Of  one  thing  I  'm  sure.  You  must 
not  give  up  this  work." 

"I  '11  sign  the  deeds  of  transfer  to-morrow,'* 
he   interrupted. 


244  COMRADES 

The  girl's  eyes  opened  in  wonder  and  a 
feeling  of  awe  stole  into  her  heart. 

"You  trust  me  so  far  ?"  she  asked,  brokenly. 

"Yes." 

"Then  I  must  speak  softly,  must  I  not?  I 
must  weigh  every  word.     You  frighten  me " 

"I  'm  not  afraid.  You  are  the  woman  I 
love." 

"How  long  have  you  loved  me.?"  she  asked, 
studying  him  curiously. 

"Always,  I  think.  Consciously  since  the  day 
I  tore  that  flag  down  on  our  lawn. " 

"And  yet  you  drew  away  from  me  at  times." 

"Yes.  I  felt  the  irrepressible  conflict  between 
this  ideal  and  my  desires.  Your  voice  called 
me  to  the  work.  I  determined  to  put  the  work 
to  the  test  first " 

"And  I  was  the  inspiration  behind  your  faith 
and   daring   leadership.?" 

"Always." 

"You  haven't  asked  me  if  I  love  you.?'* 
Barbara  said,  after  a  pause. 

"I've  been  afraid." 

"Why.?" 

"Because  I  don't  think  you  are  yet  conscious 
of  the  meaning  of  love." 

"And  yet  you  place  yourself  absolutely  in  my 
power .? " 


AT  THE  PARTING  OF  THE  WAYS     245 

"Absolutely.  I  love  you  and  I  have  not 
made  a  mistake." 

"Frankly,  then,  I  don't  know  v^hat  love  means. 
In  my  heart  of  hearts  I  've  always  been  afraid 
of   men " 

"You  're  not  afraid  of  me  ?" 

"After  to-day  —  no,  I  don't  think  I  will  be." 

"You  have  made  me  very  happy,"  he  cried 
joyously.  "Come,  we  must  hurry  back  now. 
I  'm  going  to  make  out  the  deeds  to-night  and 
place  them  in  your  hands  to-morrow  morning." 

Scarcely  a  word  was  spoken  as  they  descended 
the  mountain.  She  had  gone  up  in  the  morning 
a  laughing  girl,  conscious  of  her  beauty  and 
its  cruel  power,  and  determined  to  use  it.  She 
came  down  a  sober  little  woman  with  a  great, 
wondering  question  growing  in  her  heart. 

When  Wolf  met  her  with  eager  questions 
she  answered  as  in  a  dream. 

"He  will  deliver  the  deeds  to-morrow?"  he 
gasped  in  amazement. 

"  Yes,  to-morrow,"  she  answered  mechanically. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

THE  FRUITS  OF  PATIENCE 

THE  next  morning  Norman  asked  Barbara  to 
take  breakfast  alone  with  him  in  the  little 
rose  bower  on  the  lawn  where  she  had  first 
announced  her  choice  of  work  so  oddly  and 
charmingly. 

She  entered  with  a  timid  hesitation  and  a  half- 
frightened  look  he  was  was  quick  to  note.  He 
was  sure  from  the  expression  of  her  eyes  that  she 
had  not  slept. 

"You  did  not  sleep  well  ?"  he  asked. 

*'  1  did  n't  sleep  at  all,"  she  confessed. 

"  He  attempted  to  take  her  hand  and  she  drew 
back  trembling. 

"Now,  you  are  afraid  of  me  ?" 

"Yes.     I'm  afraid  I  am,"  she  stammered. 

"Why  of  me?  The  one  man  of  all  men  on 
earth  — the  man  who  loves  you  ?" 

"  Perhaps  that 's  just  why  I  'm  afraid  of  you," 
she  said,  with  an  effort  to  smile.  "  But,  to  tell  you 
the  truth,  I  think  it 's  just  because  you  are  a  man. 
Last  night  I  lay  awake  thinking  it  all  over.  I  'm 
quite  sure  that  I  shall  always  be  afraid  of  men.     I 

246 


THE  FRUITS  OF  PATIENCE       247 

like  you  better  than  any  man  I  've  ever  known,  but 
now  that  you  've  told  me  you  love  me  I  'm  uneasy 
when  I  'm  near  you.  I  think  you  'd  better  give  me 
up  at  once.  1  'm  sure  I  'm  hopeless  as  a  sweet- 
heart. I  know  I  could  never  marry.  The 
domestic  instinct  seems  utterly  missing  in  my 
nature.  I  love  man  in  the  abstract,  but  I  can 
never  surrender  to  any  particular  man.  It  seems 
like  suicide.  I  want  to  be  myself.  I  hate  the 
idea  of  losing  myself  in  another's  being  —  I  can't 
endure  it,  and  if  you  make  love  to  me  any  more 
I  shall  be  very  unhappy  —  and  —  I  '11  have  to 
keep  out  of  your  way.  You  won't  do  this  any 
more  will  you  ?  Promise  me,  and  we  will  be  our 
old  selves  again  —  just  comrades." 

Norman  bowed  with  a  smile. 

**  I  promise  never  to  speak  another  word  of  love 
to  you  until  you  tell  me  that  you  love  me!" 

"Honestly?"  she  laughed. 

"On  my  word  of  honour,"  he  answered, 
gravely. 

"Then  I  shall  be  happy  again,"  she  cried. 

"You  will  not  try  to  avoid  me  ?" 

"No." 

"You  will  help  and  cheer  me  in  the  work  I  've 
planned  ?" 

"Every  day,"  she  promised. 

"Then  I  shall  bide  my  time."     He   drew  the 


248  COMRADES 

deeds  to  the  island  from  his  pocket  and  handed 
them  to  her. 

"  The  title  to  a  kingdom  which  I  joyfully  deliver 
by  order  of  the  queen-regent!" 

"  You  are  sure  you  do  this  because  I  asked  you  ? " 

"Do  you  really  doubt  it  ?" 

"No,"  was  the  candid  reply.  "And  I'll  be 
frank  enough  to  confess  that  I  feel  very  proud  of 
my  power.  You  flattered  my  vanity  as  never 
before.  You  have  put  me  under  a  sense  of  grati- 
tude for  which  I  fear  I  can  never  reward  you." 

"  I  have  my  reward  in  your  approval." 

She  smiled  and  lifted  her  finger  in  warning. 

"I  '11  not  forget  my  promise,"  he  said.  "From 
to-day  we  understand  each  other  perfectly.  I  am 
permitted  to  love  you  in  silence.  You  graciously 
permit  this  as  long  as  I  am  silent.  In  my 
wounded  pride  1  have  vowed  that  you  yourself  shall 
break  this  silence  or  it  shall  remain  unbroken 
forever.     This  is  our  compact  ?" 

"Yes,"  she  answered  extending  her  hand.  He 
felt  it  tremble  at  his  first  touch  and  then  rest 
contentedly  and  confidently  in  his  strong  grasp 
for  a  moment  before  they  parted. 

When  once  his  decision  was  made,  Norman 
threw  every  doubt  to  the  winds  and  devoted 
himself   with    tireless    zeal    to    establishing    the 


THE  FRUITS  OF  PATIENCE        241; 

Brotherhood  on  the  vast  scale  he  had  origin- 
ally  planned. 

In  every  step  of  the  expanding  life  of  the  colony 
Barbara  vv^as  his  constant  companion  and  silent 
inspiration. 

The  transfer  of  the  property  was  duly  made 
under  WolPs  keen  gray  eyes,  with  every  detail  of 
the  law  carefully  guarded. 

A  second  colony  of  two  thousand  enthusiasts 
was  landed  and  established  in  the  new  building. 
Under  Norman's  inspiring  leadership  their  work 
was  quickly  organized. 

A  new  central  administrative  colony  of  five 
thousand  was  planned,  and  the  foundation  of  its 
buildings  laid  with  inspiring  ceremonies.  The 
huge  structure  was  formed  in  the  shape  of  a 
quadrangle  covering  ten  acres  of  ground.  In  the 
centre  of  the  court  rose  the  house  of  the  regents, 
in  reality  a  palace  of  imposing  splendour.  The 
assembly  hall  was  located  in  the  regents'  palace 
and  formed  the  dining-room  of  their  colony.  At 
one  end  of  the  magnificent  room  was  placed  on  an 
elevated  platform  the  table  at  which  the  board  of 
governors  would  sit,  while  at  each  end  of  the  table 
stood  the  gilded  chairs  of  state  to  be  occupied  by 
the  regent  and  his  consort. 

The  scheme  of  imposing  grandeur  was  suggested 
by  Wolf.     Norman  objected  at  first,  but  yielded 


250  COMRADES 

at  last,  convinced  by  his  past  experiences  that  a 
central  authority  of  undisputed  power  was  essential 
to  the  existence  of  any  state  founded  on  the 
socialistic  ideal. 

At  each  corner  of  the  quadrangle  a  public  build- 
ing was  placed  connected  by  the  dormitories;  on 
one  corner  was  placed  a  theatre,  on  another  a 
music  hall,  on  another  a  school  and  nursery,  on 
the  other  a  lyceum  to  be  used  for  public  gatherings 
of  all  kinds,  religious,  social,  or  political.  Each 
section  of  the  outer  buildings  was  connected  with 
the  regent's  palace  in  the  centre  of  the  court  by 
covered  walk  ways. 

The  entire  force  of  the  four  thousand  members 
of  the  Brotherhood  (except  the  farmers)  were 
placed  at  work  to  complete  this  structure  at  the 
earliest  possible  moment. 

A  day  before  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Brother- 
hood at  which  the  board  of  governors  and  the  two 
regents  were  to  be  elected  for  the  term  of  four 
years,  Norman  established  a  daily  newspaper, 
The  New  Era,  and  the  event  was  celebrated  in  the 
evening  by  a  banquet  and  ball. 

As  he  walked  among  the  joyous  throngs  of  the 
Brotherhood  as  they  moved  through  the  brilliantly 
lighted  ball-room  he  began  to  feel  for  the  first  time 
the  conscious  joy  of  a  great  achievement. 

Beyond  a  doubt  the  Brotherhood  was  an  accom- 


THE  FRUITS  OF  PATIENCE       251 

plished  fact.  Its  fame  was  stirring  the  world 
beyond  their  Httle  island.  Pictures  of  the  future 
flashed  through  his  imagination,  and  always  in 
greater  and  more  alluring  splendour. 

He  saw  himself  becoming  more  and  more  the 
guiding  spirit  of  the  great  enterprise.  If  men 
opposed  his  plans  he  would  mould  their  wills 
in  his. 

Gradually  he  meant  to  remove  the  hard  and 
painful  elements  of  force  on  which  the  efficiency 
of  the  colony  now  rested.  The  discipline  of  an 
army  with  its  stern  laws  of  physical  violence  back 
of  its  clock-like  precision  was  not  to  his  liking.  He 
winced  at  the  thought  of  that  grim  relic  of  bar- 
barism, the  whipping-post,  which  they  had  found 
necessary  to  temporarily  revive.  The  jail,  guard- 
house, and  penal  colony  were  thorns  in  his  flesh 
which  he  would  remove  at  the  earliest  possible 
moment.  The  one  excuse  for  their  existence  was 
the  inheritance  of  evil  in  man's  nature  due  to  his 
wrongs  and  sufi'ering  under  the  system  of  capital- 
ism.    They  would  outgrow  them. 

Again  and  again  he  encountered  Wolf  and 
Catherine  in  the  highest  spirits,  laughing,  joking, 
chatting,  shaking  hands  with  each  one  they  met. 

Suddenly  it  struck  him  for  the  first  time  that  he 
had  a  poor  memory  for  names  and  faces.  He 
wondered  how  Wolf  could  remember  the  name  of 


252  COMRADES 

the  most  obscure  member  of  the  colony  without 
an  effort.     He  had  been  so  absorbed  in  the  bia: 

o 

problems  of  the  Brotherhood  that  hehad  given  Httle 
or  no  time  to  cultivating  the  personal  acquaintance 
of  its  individual  members.  The  arts  of  the  politi- 
cian were  foreign  to  his  nature.  He  had  never 
stooped  in  his  thoughts  even  to  consider  them.  He 
had  always  lived  in  a  different  world. 

Never  for  a  moment  had  the  idea  occurred  to 
him  that  he  might  have  to  fight  for  his  position  as 
leader  of  the  colony  which  he  had  created,  yet 
when  he  took  his  seat  beside  Barbara  the  following 
night  to  preside  over  the  annual  meeting,  he  was 
conscious  instantly  that  through  the  crowd  of 
eager  faces  before  him  there  ran  a  strong  current 
of  personal  hostility. 

It  was  a  disagreeable  surprise.  But  as  he 
recalled  the  many  unpopular  decisions  he  had  been 
called  on  to  make  during  the  past  year  it  seemed 
but  natural  there  should  be  a  lingering  soreness 
in  some  minds.  It  was  not  until  he  saw  Wolf  in 
deep  consultation  with  Diggs's  glasses,  and 
Catherine  whispering  to  the  smooth,  gray-haired 
woman  who  had  demanded  the  expulsion  of 
Blanche,  that  he  knew  an  organized  plot  had  been 
formed  to  depose  him  from  power. 

His  first  impulse  was  one  of  blind  rage.  He 
recalled  now  with  lightning  flashes  of  memory  the 


THE  FRUITS  OF  PATIENCE       253 

long  hours  Wolf  and  his  wife  had  spent  in  soothing 
the  anger  of  rebellious  and  troublesome  members. 
At  every  public  meeting  he  recalled  their  smiling 
faces  at  the  door  or  moving  through  the  hall. 
The  whole  scheme  was  plain,  its  low  chicanery, 
its  shallow  hypocrisy,  its  fawning  acceptance  of 
his  leadership!  They  had  been  patiently  waiting 
for  him  to  finish  the  work  of  strong,  legal, 
invincible,  powerful  organization  to  step  in  and 
take  the  reins  from  his  hands. 

And  they  had  done  it  with  such  consummate 
skill,  such  infinite  care  and  patience,  that  not  one 
of  his  own  personal  follow^ers  had  discovered  the 
plot. 

When  the  smooth,  gray-haired  woman  rose  to 
nominate  candidates  for  regent  he  knew,  before 
she  spoke,  the  names  she  would  pronounce.  He 
looked  at  her  with  a  feeling  of  contempt  and  to 
save  his  life  he  could  n't  recall  her  name. 

She  repeated  her  address  to  the  chair  with  angry 
emphasis: 

"Comrade  Chairman!" 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  Norman  answered, 
"  but  I  could  not  for  the  moment  recall  your  name. 
The  comrade  on  my  right  (the  woman  without  a 
soul,  he  added  in  low  tones)  has  the  floor." 

Barbara  started  at  his  tone  of  anger  and 
whispered : 


254 


COMRADES 


"  How  could  you  be  so  rude  —  what  Is  wrong  ?'* 

"We  are  about  to  retire  from  office." 

*'What!"  Barbara  gasped  as  the  Uttle  woman 
began  to  speak. 

"Listen  — you  will  understand,"  he  said,  with 
a  sudden  curve  of  his  lip. 

"Comrades,"  the  deep,  calm  voice  began,  "I 
place  in  nomination  for  the  office  of  regents  for 
the  four  ensuing  years  the  names  of  a  man  and 
woman  whom .  every  member  of  the  old  colony 
entitled  to  vote  to-night  has  learned  to  love  and 
honour — a  man  and  woman  whose  ripe  experience, 
whose  sound  judgment,  whose  sense  of  right, 
whose  powers  of  reasoning,  whose  executive 
genius  will  give  to  us  all  the  guarantee  of  perfect 
justice  and  perfect  order " 

"You  bet  they  will,  old  girl,"  Tom  cried  with 
enthusiasm,  waving  his  hand  admiringly  toward 
Norman  and  Barbara. 

The  speaker  paused,  regarded  Tom  a  moment 
with  quiet  scorn,  and  continued: 

"I  have  the  honour  to  name  for  the  highest 
honour  in  the  gift  of  the  Brotherhood  for  the 
regency  of  the  new  State  of  Ventura  Comrades 
Herman  and  Catherine  Wolf." 

"What's  that  you  say?"  old  Tom  yelled  with 
anger,  leaping  to  his  feet,  and  glaring  around  the 
room  in  a  dazed  surprise. 


THE  FRUITS  OF  PATIENCE       255 

The  old  miner  was  too  shrewd  a  poHtician  to 
doubt  now  for  a  moment  the  situation.  He  made 
the  only  possible  attack  on  the  programme  that 
promised  results. 

"In  view  of  the  fact,  feller  comrades,"  he 
shouted,  "that  half  the  present  members  er  this 
here  Brotherhood  have  not  been  here  long  enough 
to  vote,  I  move  that  in  justice  to  the  new  mem.bers 
we  postpone  this  election  for  six  months." 

Joe  seconded  the  motion,  and  the  chairman 
asked: 

"Are  there  any  remarks  on  the  motion  }" 

The  Bard  moved  as  if  to  rise,  when  Diggs 
snatched  him  back  into  his  seat. 

Amid  a  silence  that  was  ominous  the  chairman 
put  the  question: 

"All  in  favour  of  postponing  this  election  for 
six  months  that  our  new  members  may  be  able 
to   vote   will   say   *Aye.'  " 

The  response  was  feeble.  Tom  and  Joe  yelled 
very  loudly,  but  their  effort  was  obvious. 

"All  in  favour  say  'No.'  " 

The  whole  audience  seemed  to  shout  in  solid 
trained  chorus  "No!" 

Tom  hastened  to  nominate  Norman  and 
Barbara.  The  old  miner's  speech  was  couched 
in  plain,  uncouth  words,  but  they  came  from  the 
heart    and    their    rugged    eloquence    stirred    the 


* 


256  COMRADES 

crowd  with  surprising  power.  Diggs  glanced 
over  the  audience  through  his  flashing  glasses, 
and  his  perpetual  smile  faded  into  a  look  of 
uneasiness  as  a  round  of  applause  swept  the 
house. 

He  tiptoed  to  Wolf's  side  and  whispered: 

"Any  danger .?" 

"Not  the  slightest.  I  want  him  to  get  some 
votes.     It 's  better  so." 

The  programme  went  through  without  a  hitch. 
Wolf  and  Catherine  were  elected  regents  by  an 
overwhelming  majority  and  a  new  board  of 
governors  chosen  with  not  a  single  one  whom 
Norman  knew  personally. 

The  young  leader  sat  in  sullen  silence,  and 
watched  the  proceedings  with  contempt.  Barbara 
looked  on  in  increasing  wonder  and  pain. 

When  the  result  was  announced  and  the  cheer- 
ing had  died  away  she  bent  her  beautiful  head 
close  to  his  and  whispered : 

"  This  is  a  complete  surprise.    You  believe  me  ? " 

"Yes,"  he  quickly  answered,  "and  one  touch 
of  your  hand  will  rob  defeat  of  its  sting." 

She  pressed  his  hand  with  lingering  tenderness 
and  sought  Catherine  with  a  flash  of  anger  in  her 
brown  eyes  that  boded  trouble  for  the  house  of 
Wolf. 


i 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

THE   NEW  MASTER 

WOLF  lost  no  time  in  demonstrating  that  he 
was  complete  master  of  the  situation. 
At  nine  o'clock  next  morning  two  armed 
guards,  whom  he  had  never  seen  in  the  house 
before,  entered  Norman's  room  and  handed  him 
the  first  official  order  of  the  new  regents.  The 
deposed  young  leader  read  it  with  amusement 
at  first,  but  as  his  eyes  rested  on  its  brief  words 
of  command,  something  of  their  sinister  meaning 
began  to  dawn  in  his  mind. 

"All  citizens  of  the  State  of  Ventura  are  ordered 
to  immediately  surrender  their  arms.     By  order  of 

"Herman  Wolf, 

''Regentr 

Norman  looked  at  the  revolvers  in  the  holsters 
of  the  guards  and  dryly  remarked: 

"  But  the  State  will  kindly  continue  their  use, 
I  see!" 

Norman  surrendered  his  revolver,  and  his  room 
was  searched  in  every  nook  and  corner  for  weapons 
he  might  have  concealed. 

"Why  this  insult?"  he  demanded. 
257 


258  COMRADES 

The  guardsman  saluted. 

"Special  orders  of  the  regent,  sir.  We  are  to 
take  no  man's  word  for  it." 

Norman  sat  in  silence  while  the  men  opened 
his  trunks,  ransacked  his  drawers,  and  searched 
in  every  conceivable  spot  where  a  weapon  of  any 
kind  might  be  hid. 

"I  could  have  told  you  at  first  that  1  had  no 
other  guns  .  The  entire  colony  is  being  disarmed 
this  morning?" 

"Yes,  sir,  the  work  will  be  completed  by  two 
o'clock." 

"Indeed!" 

The  man  fumbled  in  his  pocket  and  drew  out 
another   order. 

"And  this  one  for  you  personally,  sir." 

"Oh  —  after  the  disarming  ?" 

"Yes,  sir!" 

Norman  read  the  second  order  and  the  lines 
of  his  mouth  tightened  suddenly.  The  note  was 
brief  but  to  the  point: 

"Comrade  Norman  Worth  will  report  to  the 
regent  at  ten  o'clock  for  orders. 

"  Herman  Wolf, 

''Regent" 

For  five  minutes  after  the  guards  had  gone 
Norman  stood  in  silence  staring  at  this  order. 


THE  NEW  MASTER  259 

It  was  the  first  he  had  ever  received  in  his  life 
except  the  one  from  his  ow^n  father  which  he  had 
disobeyed. 

To  be  driven  into  another  man's  presence  to 
take  orders  as  from  a  master  to  a  servant  was 
an  idea  that  had  never  entered  his  imagination. 
He  had  seen  such  things.  He  had  given  orders, 
but  he  had  never,  somehow,  counted  himself  in 
the  class  of  men  who  took  them. 

For  the  first  time  he  began  to  realize  the  mean- 
ing of  the  work  he  had  been  doing,  and  began  to 
see  how  deftly  and  unconsciously  he  had  been 
forging  the  chains  of  a  system  of  irresponsible 
slavery  on  his  fellow  men.  While  the  motive 
which  impelled  him  was  one  of  unselfish  love, 
and  he  had  thought  only  of  their  best  interest, 
he  saw  now  in  a  flash  with  what  crushing  cruelty 
this  power  could  be  used. 

It  all  seemed  simple  enough  when  he  regarded 
his  own  will  as  the  centre  and  source  of  power. 
Now  that  another  man  had  grasped  the  lever 
and  applied  this  power,  the  whole  scheme  of 
artificial  life  which  he  had  created  took  on  a  new 
and  darker  meaning. 

What  should  he  do  ? 

His  first  impulse  was  to  walk  into  Wolf's  pres- 
ence, denounce  him  as  a  scheming  scoundrel,  and 
defy  his  power.     That  Wolf  would  fight  was  not 


^6o  COMRADES 

to  be  questioned  for  a  minute.  His  first  act 
of  disarming  the  colony  was  a  master-stroke, 
and  the  longer  the  young  leader  thought  of  it 
the  more  hopeless  his  present  situation  became. 

Beyond  a  doubt  Wolf  had  been  selecting  the 
new  regent's  guard  with  the  same  patience  and 
skill  with  which  he  had  executed  his  political 
coup.  This  guard  was  composed  now  only  of 
his  tried  and  trusted  henchmen.  A  single  false 
step  on  Norman's  part  would  simply  play  into 
the  wily  brute's  hands,  and  he  would  destroy 
himself  at  a  single  stroke. 

He  must  use  his  brain.  He  must  fight  the 
devil  with  fire.  He  must  submit  for  the  moment, 
plan  and  work  and  wait  with  infinite  patience, 
and  when  the  work  of  patience  was  complete, 
then  strike  and  strike  to  kill. 

And  yet  the  blood  rushed  to  his  heart  and 
strangled  with  the  thought  of  submission  to  such 
a  man.  But  there  was  no  other  way.  He  had 
himself  set  the  trap  of  steel  he  now  felt  crash  into 
his   own   flesh. 

To  appeal  to  his  father  was  unthinkable  — his 
pride  forbade  it,  even  if  it  were  possible. 

To  escape  was  out  of  the  question.  Every 
way  had  been  cut  and  that  by  his  own  order. 
The  mail  was  inspected.  The  steamer  held  no 
communication    with    the    people  of  the  island. 


THE  NEW  MASTER  261 

No  boat  was  allowed  to  land,  and  no  boat,  even 
the  smallest  sail  or  row  boat,  was  permitted  to  a 
member  of  the  Brotherhood  on  any  pretext. 

Besides,  resignation  or  flight  could  not  be 
thought  of  for  another  reason.  To  retreat  now 
and  leave  thousands  of  people  behind  whom  he 
had  led  into  this  enterprise  would  be  the  act  of 
a  coward. 

There  was  nothing  left  except  to  fight  it  out 
on  the  lines  he  had  himself  laid  down. 

The  one  thing  that  hurt  him  most  was  the 
ugly  suspicion  that  Barbara  must  have  knov/n 
something  of  this  deeply  laid  scheme  by  which 
the  Wolfs  had  gained  control  of  the  Brotherhood. 
And  yet  her  surprise  had  been  genuine,  her 
anger  real.  He  could  n't  be  mistaken  about  it. 
To  believe  her  capable  of  such  treachery  and 
double-dealing  was  to  doubt  the  very  existence 
of  truth  and  purity. 

And  yet,  when  he  recalled  how  little  he  really 
knew  of  her  past  life,  what  dark  secrets  might 
lurk  in  the  story  of  the  years  she  had  spent  under 
the  same  roof  with  these  people,  he  grew  sick  at 
the   thought. 

He  knew  now  that  the  blond  beast  with  the  red 
scar  on  his  neck  and  the  slender,  dark-eyed 
madonna-like  mate  who  had  always  been  his 
shadow  were  capable  of  anything.     Two  people 


262  COMRADES 

who  could  smile  In  treacherous  silence  for  a 
year  and  suddenly  grip  the  throat  of  the  man 
who  had  been  their  best  friend,  needed  no  written 
biography  to  tell  their  past.  It  was  luminous. 
And  in  the  glare  in  which  he  read  it  he  shuddered 
at  the  sinister  light  it  threw  on  the  beautiful  girl 
whom  they  had  reared  as  their  own. 

He  took  from  his  mantel  a  little  picture  made 
■one  day  in  San  Francisco  by  a  tintype  man.  It 
was  a  singularly  beautiful  likeness  of  Barbara, 
taken  on  a  sudden  impulse  without  a  moment's 
thought  or  preparation.  Her  laughing  face  looked 
out  at  him,  wreathed  in  a  garland  of  w^ayward 
ringlets  of  dark  brown  hair.  Truth,  sincerity, 
beauty,  intelligence,  and  a  childlike  innocence  were 
stamped  in  every  line. 

A  thousand  times  since  he  had  seen  her  just  like 
that.  And  from  the  moment  of  their  advent  on  the 
island  this  impression  of  girlish  innocence  and 
sincerity  had  grown  rather  than  decreased.  The 
more  he  saw  of  her  in  the  simpler,  quieter  moments 
of  their  association,  the  stronger,  deeper,  and  more 
tender  his  love  became,  and  the  deeper  grew  his 
utter  faith  in  the  purity  of  her  soul  and  body. 

"I  '11  sooner  doubt  an  angel  of  God!"  he  said 
at  last,  as  he  placed  it  back  on  the  mantel. 

He  would  see  Wolf  at  once,  learn  his  plans,  and 
then  carefully  make  his  own. 


THE  NEW  MASTER  263 

He  dressed  with  care  and  at  the  appointed  hour 
rapped  for  admission  at  the  executive  office  where 
the  day  before  he  sat  as  master. 

He  was  told  the  regent  was  busy  with  others 
and  ordered  to  wait  his  turn.  He  flushed  with 
anger,  recovered  himself,  waited  a  half  hour,  and 
was  ushered  into  the  presence  of  the  new  ruler. 

Wolf  sat  in  the  big  revolving  chair  at  his  desk 
with  conscious  dignity  and  power.  Two  of  his 
guards  stood  outside  the  door,  grim  reminders  of 
the  substantial  character  of  the  new  administration. 

Norman  seated  himself  with  careless  ease  with- 
out invitation  and  waited  for  the  older  man  to 
speak. 

Wolf  smiled  grimly,  stroked  his  thick,  coarse 
reddish  beard,  and  looked  at  Norman  thoughtfully 
a  moment. 

"Well,  my  boy,"  the  regent  began,  with  friendly 
patronage,  "we  M  as  well  come  to  the  point  with- 
out ceremony.  You  are  down  and  out.  The 
new  board  of  governors  will  do  what  I  wish.  I 
am  in  supreme  command  of  the  ship  of  state. 
Do  you  want  to  fight  or  work  ? " 

"  It 's  a  poor  doctor.  Wolf,"  Norman  said,  coolly, 
"who  can't  take  his  own  medicine.  I  came  here 
to  work." 

"Congratulations  on  your  good  sense!"  the 
regent  repHed.     "I 've  no  desire  to  make  trouble 


264  COMRADES 

for  you.  I  have  nothing  against  you  personally. 
I  had  to  put  you  out  and  take  command  to  save 
the  colony  from  ruin.  You  meant  well,  but  you 
were  a  bungling  amateur,  and  you  can  be  of  greater 
service  in  the  ranks  than  in  command.  I  know 
you  don't  like  me  after  what  has  happened,  but  you 
don't  have  to.  I  '11  be  generous.  What  sort  of 
work  would  you  like  to  have  assigned  you  .?" 

"Thanks,  that 's  very  kind  of  you,  Wolf,  I  'm 
sure.  I  believe  the  warden  of  every  penitentiary 
is  equally  generous  to  all  convicts.  However, 
that 's  a  minor  detail,  seeing  that  I  assisted  in  the 
creation  of  this  ideal  world." 

Wolf  smashed  the  desk  top  with  his  big  fist  and 
suddenly  glared  at  Norman,  his  cold  eyes  gleaming 
angrily. 

"Come  to  the  point!  I  've  no  time  to  waste! 
Have  you  any  choice  as  to  the  kind  of  work  to 
which  you  wish  to  be  assigned  ?" 

"I  have  a  decided  choice.  Our  mines  have  all 
failed.  I  '11  redeem  the  failure  by  perfecting 
and  completing  the  big  dredge  for  mining  gold  from 
the  low-grade  sands  on  the  beach." 

"A  waste  of  time  and  money,"  Wolf  snapped. 
**  I  can't  afford  to  spare  the  men  on  any  more  fool 
inventions.     Such  things  must  stop." 

"You  mean  to  stop  all  progress  by  stopping 
inventions?"  Norman  asked. 


THE  NEW  MASTER  265 

"So  far  as  the  State  is  concerned,  yes,"  said  the 
regent,  with  emphasis.  "Under  your  sHpshod 
administration  we  spent  nearly  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars  during  the  past  year  on  so-called 
inventions.  Every  fool  in  the  colony  has  invented 
something.  Not  one  in  a  hundred  has  produced 
an  idea  that  is  practicable.  We  cannot  afford  to 
waste  the  capital  of  the  State  in  such  idiocy.'' 

"Give  me  twenty  men  and  I  '11  compete  the 
dredge." 

"Labour  is  capital  in  the  Socialist  S^-ate.  I 
can't  afford  to  waste  it." 

"  But  you  are  not  wasting  it,"  Norman  pleaded. 
"  I  've  spent  sixty  thousand  already  on  this 
invention.  Unless  the  machine  is  completed  the 
capital  will  be  lost  to  the  colony." 

"It  will  be  lost  anyhow,"  Wolf  answered, 
impatiently.  "Your  whole  conception  is  a  piece 
of  childish  folly.  You  can't  make  a  profit  operat- 
ing a  dredge  in  sand  containing  only  twenty  cents' 
worth  of  gold  to  a  ton  of  dirt." 

*  'I  can  do  better,"  Norman  urged  with  enthusi- 
asm. "I  can  make  a  hundred  per  cent,  on  the 
investment  if  the  dirt  pans  out  ten  cents  to  the 
ton.  If  it  pans  twenty  cents  a  ton  I  can  make 
millions." 

"So  every  crank  has  claimed  for  his  particular 
piece  of  idiocy.     I  '11  not  permit  another  dollar  or 


266  COMRADES 

another  day's  labour  to  be  thrown  away  on  any 
such  crazy  experiment." 

Norman's  face  reddened  with  a  rush  of  uncon- 
trollable anger. 

"  Look  here,  Wolf,  you  can't  be  serious  in  this.'* 

"I  was  never  more  serious  in  my  life,"  the  big 
jaws  snapped.  "  I  am  going  to  issue  an  order  to-day 
that  hereafter  any  man  or  woman  who  conceives 
an  invention  can  work  it  out  himself  without  aid 
from  the  State.  They  must  do  this  at  odd  hours 
after  working  the  required  time  each  day.  They 
must  put  their  own  money  into  their  machine." 

"As  the  State  only  has  capital,"  Norman  pro- 
tested, "this  means  the  practical  prohibition  of  all 
invention.  No  man  can  with  his  own  hands  make 
the  machinery  needed  in  the  progress  of  humanity. 
We  have  abolished  private  capital  by  abolishing 
rent,  interest,  and  profit.  Do  you  propose  thus  to 
stop  the  progress  of  the  world  r' 

"No,"  Wolf  cried  with  a  wave  of  his  heavy  hand. 
"Let  the  ambitious  inventor  work  at  night  and 
build  his  own  machine.  I  will  grant,  in  my  order 
on  the  subject,  to  each  successful  inventor  the 
right  to  operate  his  own  machine  for  ten  years 
before  it  becomes  the  property  of  the  State." 

"Suppose  he  succeeds,"  said  Norman,  "under 
such  hard  conditions  with  his  own  hands  and  with- 
out capital  in  perfecting  an  invention  of  enormous 


THE  NEW  MASTER  267 

value,  such  as  the  dredge  I  have  begun,  of  what 
use  will  the  results  be  if  he  cannot  invest  them  in 
rent  or  interest,  and  all  gifts  and  exchanges  are 
prohibited  ?" 

"He  may  build  a  home  and  lavish  them  on  his 
wife  and  children,  or  he  may  become  a  great  public 
benefactor  and  win  the  love  and  gratitude  of  the 
people  by  enriching  the  State  and  shortening  the 
hours  of  labour.  If  your  dredge  can  make  a 
million,  for  example,  as  you  claim — ^go  ahead,  work 
at  night,  perfect  it,  put  it  to  work,  build  yourself 
a  palace  to  live  in,  give  millions  to  the  Brotherhood. 
Shorten  their  hours  from  eight  to  four,  and  I  '11 
guarantee  you  '11  oust  me  from  my  position  of 
power." 

Norman's  eye  suddenly  flashed  with  resolution. 

"You  will  not  grant  me  the  labour  to  complete 
the  dredge  .f"'  Norman  asked. 

"Not  one  man  for  one  minute,"  was  the  curt 
reply. 

"Then  I  '11  finish  it  myself,"  Norman  said,  with 
determination. 

"After  you've  worked  eight  full  hours  a  day,. 
under  my  direction  —  you  understand!"  the 
regent  responded  sullenly. 

Norman  sprang  to  his  feet  and  the  two  men  faced 
each  other  a  moment,  the  big  scar  on  Wolf's  neck 
flashing  red,  his  enormous  fists  instinctively  closing. 


268  COMRADES 

"Wolf,  this  is  an  infamous  outrage!" 

"I  '11  teach  you  not  to  speak  to  me  in  that 
manner  again,  sir!"  the  regent  slowly  said,  as  he 
tapped  his  bell. 

The  guards  sprang  to  his  side. 

"Show  this  gentleman  to  the  barnyard  —  he  is 
a  good  farmer.  Put  him  at  work  with  old  Meth- 
odist John  cleaning  out  the  stables  for  the  new 
cantaloup  crop.  He  is  very  fond  of  cantaloups. 
If  he  makes  any  trouble  tell  the  sergeant  of  your 
guard  to  give  him  thirty-nine  lashes  without 
consulting  me." 

Norman  stepped  closer,  and,  trembling  from 
head  to  foot,  said  to  Wolf: 

"  If  ever  one  of  your  men  lays  the  weight  of  his 
hand  on  me " 

"And  yet  we  both  agreed  that  under  our  system 
discipline  must  be  enforced  —  the  discipline  of 
an  army?"  the  regent  interrupted. 

Norman  held  his  gaze  lixed  without  moving  a 
muscle,  and  slowly  continued: 

"  If  you  ever  try  it,  you  'd  better  finish  your  job." 

"I'll  remember  your  advice,"  Wolf  answered 
with  a  sneer.     "Show  him  to  his  work." 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

A  TEST   OF    STRENGTH 

WHEN  Catherine  saw  the  furious  look  on 
Barbara's  face  as  she  descended  from  the 
platform  the  night  of  the  election,  she  avoided  a 
meeting  and  went  to  bed  pleading  a  headache. 

Early  the  next  morning  Barbara  rapped  for 
entrance,  forced  her  way  in,  and  stood,  tense 
with  anger,  before  the  older  woman,  her  eyes  red 
from  the  long  vigil  of  a  sleepless  night. 

"You  avoided  me  last  night " 

Catherine  laughed. 

**  My  dear,  1  never  saw  you  In  quite  such  a 
rage.  It  might  be  serious  if  it  were  not  so 
silly." 

"You  '11  find  it  serious  before  you  are  through 
with  this  performance,"  Barbara  retorted,  angrily. 

"  Remember,  I  am  in  supreme  authority  now. 
Don't  you  dare  speak  to  me  in  that  manner, 
you  ungrateful  little  wretch!" 

*'  I  '11  dare  to  tell  you  the  truth  —  even  if  you 
were  the  mother  who  bore  me  —  even  if  I  had 
not  repaid  you  a  hundredfold  for  every  dollar  you 
have  spent  on  me." 

269 


270  COMRADES 

*'  Hush,  hush,  my  dear,  I  do  not  wish  to  quarrel," 
Catherine  said,  recovering  herself.  *'  I  know  your 
pride  is  wounded  over  your  defeat.  I  've  watched 
your  growing  vanity  in  high  office  with  much 
amusement  for  the  past  year." 

"  I  'm  not  thinking  of  myself,"  Barbara  said  with 
emphasis. 

*'Of  course  not  —  what  woman  ever  does?" 
Catherine  sneered. 

*'  I  am  glad  to  be  relieved  of  the  annoyance  of 
such  a  position.  But  your  treatment  of  the 
brave  and  daring  young  spirit  who  conceived  this 
colony  and  created  its  wealth  and  influence " 

"Am  I  responsible.?" 

"Yes.  Herman  is  incapable  of  conceiving 
such  a  plot  without  your  suggestion.  It  is  your 
work.  You  have  always  loved  luxury  and 
power." 

"Perhaps  I  love  a  man  also,"  Catherine  inter- 
rupted, as  her  full  sensuous  lips  curled  in  a 
curious  smile. 

"Yes,  1  give  you  credit  for  that  too,"  the  girl 
admitted.  "Though  I  confess  the  secret  of  your 
infatuation  for  that  hulking  brute  has  always 
been  one  of  the  black  mysteries  of  life  to  me." 

"When  you're  older,"  again  the  round  lips 
quivered  with  a  smile,  "perhaps  you  will  under- 
stand.    And  now,   my  child,   I  've   been   patient 


A  TEST  OF  STRENGTH  271 

with  you.  But  don't  you  ever  again  call  Herman 
a  brute  in  my  presence." 

**Take  care  he  doesn't  prove  it  to  you!"  the  girl 
warned. 

Catherine   suddenly   paled. 

"What  do  you  mean  by  that?"  she  whispered, 
glancing   about  the  room. 

"Nothing!  nothing!  nothing!  Only  that  in  every 
deed  of  the  devil  there  is  the  seed  of  death.  You 
have  planted  the  seed.     The  harvest  is  sure." 

"My  dear " 

"Don't  call  me  that  again!  I  hate  you!" 
Barbara  spoke  with  deliberate  passion. 

"Have  you  gone  mad.?"  Catherine  cried,  with 
impatience. 

"Yes,  mad  with  hatred.  From  to-day  we  are 
enemies,  and  I  '11  hate  you  forever!" 

The  older  woman  looked  at  her  in  astonishment 
and  spoke  with  a  deliberate  sneer: 

"As  you  like.  Remember,  then,  from  this 
moment  that  you  are  a  servant  under  my 
command.  I  am  no  longer  your  foster-mother. 
Leave  this  room  instantly,  take  your  things  tu 
the  domestic  servants'  quarters,  and  report  to 
the  head-woman  for  duty  in  the  corridors  of  this 
wing  of  the  building." 

"And  you  think  I  '11  submit  to  this  ?"  Barbara 
gasped. 


272  COMRADES 

Catherine  rang  the  bell,  and  Barbara  gazed 
at  her  with  a  look  of  mingled  terror  and  rage. 
A  sudden  light  flashed  in  her  brown  eyes. 

"You  mean  this  ?" 

"  I  '11  show  you  in  a  moment,"  was  the  calm 
reply. 

"  Then  it 's  war  between  us,"  Barbara  cried. 

She  sprang  to  the  door  and  Catherine  caught 
her  arm. 

"Where   are  you  going?" 

"To  Herman." 

"He  cannot  interfere  with  my  decisions." 

Barbara  threw  her  off  and  bounded  through 
the  door  crying: 

"We  shall  see!" 

The  girl  rushed  past  the  guard  at  the  door  of 
Wolf's  office,  trembling  with  rage,  her  eyes  filled 
with  blinding  tears. 

Wolf  sprang  to  his  feet  in  astonishment  and 
met  her  with  outstretched  hands. 

"What's  the  matter,  child  .f"'  he  asked  as  his 
big  coarse  fists  closed  over  the  hot  little  fingers 
and  his  gray  eyes  lighted  at  the  sight  of  her 
dishevelled  hair  and  bare  throat. 

Barbara  choked  back  the  sobs,  and  looked 
appealingly    into    Wolf's    face. 

"We  have  quarrelled  about  last  night.  You 
understand,     Herman.     Catherine    has    ordered 


A  TEST  OF  STRENGTH  273 

me  to  leave  my  room  and  join  the  servants  in  the 
halls.  You  —  you  will  not  allow  me  to  be 
degraded  thus — will  you?" 

Wolf  drew  the  trembling  girl  into  his  arms, 
pressed  her  close  a  moment,  stroked  her  curls 
with  his  gnarled  hand,  and  his  face  flushed  with 
a  look  of  triumph. 

"  Don't  worry,  dear,  I  '11  protect  you,"  he 
answered,  bending  and  kissing  her  forehead. 
"Go  back  to  your  room,  and  if  any  one  dares  to 
disturb  you,  call  for  me." 

Barbara  murmured  through  her  tears: 

"Thank  you,  Herman." 

Wolf's  eyes  sparkled  as  he  watched  the  grace- 
ful little  figure  proudly  leave  the  room. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

A   VISION    FROM   THE    HILLTOP 

CATHERINE'S  fight  with  Wolf  was  long  and 
bitter.  For  hours  she  struggled  to  force 
him  to  leave  in  her  hands  the  discipline  of  the 
women  members  of  the  colony.  Her  tears  and 
threats  fell  on  ears  equally  deaf  to  all  pleading. 
At  last  the  guards  listening  outside  heard  only 
the  low  sobbing  of  a  woman's  voice  near  the  door 
for  a  half  hour  without  a  sound  from  the  man. 

And  then  his  short,  sharp  words  came  quick 
and  curt  and  stinging: 

"Are  you  done  now  with  this  fool  per- 
formance ? " 

The  answer  was  a  sob. 

"Understand  once  for  all,"  the  cold,  hard  voice 
went  on,  "I  am  the  master  here.  Your  office 
as  regent  is  one  of  courtesy  only  as  my  wife.  My 
word  alone  is  supreme.  When  you  cease  to  be 
my  wife  another  regent  will  be  chosen  and  I  do 
the  choosing.  I  not  only  propose  to  do  the  work 
of  discipHning  the  women,  but  it  is  the  one  kind 
of  work  to  which  I  shall  devote  myself  with 
pleasure." 

274 


A  VISION  FROM  THE  HILLTOP    275 

"Herman!"  Catherine  sobbed,  as  if  she  had 
sunk  beneath  a  blow. 

The  man  laughed  with  brutal  enjoyment. 

*'You  'd  as  well  know  this  now  as  later.  You 
can  be  getting  used  to  it." 

Her  eyes  red  with  weeping,  her  proud  shoul- 
ders drooped  for  the  first  time  in  her  life,  Cather- 
ine slowly  walked  from  Wolf's  office  back  to  her 
room. 

Barbara  passed  her  on  the  stairs  without  a 
word  or  a  glance,  and  hurried  again  to  see  the 
regent,  her  whole  being  alert  with  quick 
intelligence. 

The  guard  had  received  instructions  that  she 
was  the  one  privileged  person  in  the  colony  who 
could  enter  his  office  at  all  hours,  day  or  night, 
without  ceremony  or  delay.  They  showed  her 
in  immediately. 

"I  've  just  heard  of  your  order  sending  Norman 
to  the  work  of  a  common  farm-hand,  Herman," 
Barbara  began. 

Wolf  scowled. 

"You  must  not  interfere  in  this  little  affair 
between  my  rival  and  myself,  Barbara,"  he 
said,   sternly. 

"I  will  interfere,"  she  quickly  replied,  "both 
for  your  sake  and  his.  You  've  made  a  serious 
mistake,  Herman.     Correct  it  at  once." 


276  COMRADES 

"I  had  to  show  him  his  place." 

"  It  is  n't  fair.  The  men  will  resent  it.  You 
will  make  enemies.  Your  power  is  complete. 
You  can  afford  to  be  generous." 

Wolf  looked  at  her  with  hungry,  admiring 
gaze. " 

'*  Perhaps  you  're  right,"  he  said  slowly. 

"Of  course  I  'm  right!"  she  replied,  "and  you 
know  it.  You  Ve  made  him  a  martyr  and  a  hero 
on  the  first  day  of  his  fall  from  power.  Your  true 
policy  is  just  the  opposite.  Let  him  do  what  he 
pleases  for  a  time.  Above  all  things  don't  put 
yourself  in  the  position  of  his  enemy.  Your 
strength  lies  in  standing  as  his  patron  and  friend." 

"By  Jove,  Barbara,"  Wolf  cried,  "what  a  wise 
head  on  your  little  shoulders!  Come,  be  honest 
with  me  now  —  you  're  not  in  love  with  this 
man?" 

The  girl  smiled  demurely: 

"He  is  with  me,  I  think,"  she  admitted. 

"Yes,  yes,  of  course  —  so  we  all  are,"  he  cried, 
with  a  smile.  "But  you  have  not  accepted  his 
love.?" 

"No." 

"  I  thought  you  had  better  sense.  I  '11  change 
my  order  at  your  suggestion." 

"  I  knew  you  would,"  she  cried,  joyfully. 

Wolf  sat  down  at  his  desk  and  wrote : 


A  VISION  FROM  THE  HILLTOP    277 

"Comrade  Norman  Worth  is  transferred  from 
the  field  to  the  foundry,  with  permission,  after  his 
day's  work,  to  employ  his  time  in  the  shops  per- 
fecting any  invention  in  which  he  may  be 
interested. 

''^o\.Y— Regent.'' 

He  handed  the  order  to  Barbara. 

"Take  this  to  the  youngster  and  tell  him  I  did  it 
at  your  suggestion,  and  hereafter  give  him  a  wide 
berth  if  you  wish  to  be  friendly  with  me." 

Barbara  dropped  her  eyes  and  Wolf  touched  her 
chin  with  his  coarse,  short  fingers. 

"A  hint  to  the  wise  is  sufficient,  little  girl.  You 
understand  ?" 

Barbara  took  the  order,  turned  toward  the  door, 
paused  and  smiled  coquettishly: 

"I  understand,  Herman." 

She  found  Norman  at  work  with  Methodist 
John  cleaning  out  a  stable.  To  her  amazement 
he  was  whistling  and  joking  about  something  with 
the  old  man.     She  stopped  and  listened  a  moment. 

*'  But  what  on  earth  do  you  want  a  lightning- 
rod  for,  John?"  Norman  asked. 

"That 's  my  secret,  sir,"  the  old  man  answered, 
*'but  I  must  have  one  —  won't  you  get  it  for  me  ?" 

"  I  'm  sorry,  John,  but  I  have  no  more  power 
now  in  the  State  of  Ventura  than  you  have." 


278  COMRADES 

*'  But  did  n't  you  get  the  million  dollars  and 
did  n't  you  make  all  the  money  for  'em  —  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  thousand  dollars  on  the  cantaloups 
the  others  did  n't  have  sense  enough  to  plant  ? 
Surely  they  '11  give  you  enough  to  get  me  a  thirty- 
foot  lightning-rod  ?" 

"  I  'm  afraid  not,  John,  still  I  '11  do  my  best.  I 
don't  like  to  press  you  for  the  secrets  of  your  inner 
life,  old  man,  but  I  've  immense  curiosity  to  know 
what  you  want  with  that  lightning-rod  ?  You  say 
you  're  not  afraid  of  lightning  ?" 

"No,  sir,  I  'm  not  afraid  of  nothin'." 

**  Then  why " 

"  *T  ain't  no  use  in  askin'  sir,  I  can't  tell  ye. 
But  I  want  it.  I  'm  going  to  pray  every  night  for 
it  till  I  get  it.  Maybe  the  Lord  will  send  me  one 
by  an  angel " 

Barbara  suddenly  appeared  in  the  door  of  the 
stall. 

"  Speaking  of  angels,"  Norman  cried,  laughing. 

"I  have  an  order  for  you,"  Barbara  said, 
quickly. 

Norman  threw  his  pitchfork  full  of  manure  out 
of  the  window  of  the  stall,  stood  the  fork  in  the 
corner,  brushed  his  hands,  and  bowed  before 
Barbara. 

"What  an  exquisite  picture  you  make  standing 
in  the  doorway  there  with  that  ocean  of  blossoming 


A  VISION  FROM  THE  HILLTOP    279 

peach  trees  stretching  up  the  slope  until  it  kisses 
the  sky  line.     I  wish  I  were  an  artist." 

She  looked  at  him  with  amazement. 

"  I  expected  to  find  you  with  murder  in  your 
heart.     I  can't  understand." 

Norman  took  the  note  from  her  white  fingers. 

"Because  I  'm  laughing?" 
Yes. 

*' Well,  is  n't  the  joke  on  me  ?  I  've  been  preach- 
ing, preaching,  preaching,  about  the  dignity  of  all 
labour.  I  kicked  the  first  few  moments,  I  confess. 
The  medicine  was  bitter,  but  I  soon  began  to  find 
that  it  was  good  for  the  soul.  I  'm  getting 
acquainted   with   myself " 

Norman  paused,  read  Wolf's  order,  and  looked 
tenderly  into  Barbara's  eyes. 

"  So  you  heard  of  my  fall  and  came  to  my  rescue. 
It 's  worth  the  jolt  to  be  rescued  by  such  a  hand." 

He  stooped  and  kissed  the  tips  of  her  fingers. 

"Come  with  me  up  the  hill  yonder  among  those 
blossoming  trees,"  he  said,  leading  her  toward  the 
orchard.  "  I  want  to  tell  you  about  a  vision  I  saw 
in  that  stable  a  while  ago  while  I  wielded  the  pitch- 
fork and  talked  to  my  old  pauper  friend,  both  of 
us  now  comrade  equals." 

They  walked  on  in  silence  through  the  long, 
clean  rows  of  fruit  trees  in  full  bloom,  the  air 
'^dolent  with  sweet  perfume  and  quivering  with 


28o  COMRADES 

the  electric  hum  of  growing  life.  On  the  top  of 
the  hill  they  paused  and  looked  toward  the  sea  that 
stretched  away  in  solemn,  infinite  grandeur. 
Below,  on  the  next  plateau,  rolled  in  apparently 
endless  acres,  the  great  white  carpet  of  flowering 
plum  trees  and  further  on  the  tender  budding 
grapes  and  beyond,  lower  still,  the  deep  green  val- 
ley with  orange  trees  flashing  their  golden  fruit. 

"What  a  glorious  world!"  Barbara  cried. 

"Yes,"  he  answered  with  a  sigh,  "a  world  of 
endless  beauty  in  which  after  all  there  's  nothing 
vile  but  man.  And  I  once  thought  that  in  such  a 
world  angels  only  could  live." 

"  Must  we  despair  because  one  man  or  woman 
proves  false,"  she  asked. 

"No,"  he  answered  cheerily,  leading  her  to  a 
boulder  and  taking  his  seat  by  her  side. 

"  I  don't  despair.  I  've  been  seeing  visions 
to-day  —  visions  as  old  as  the  beat  of  the  human 
heart,  perhaps,  yet  always  new." 

He  drew  the  order  of  Wolf  from  his  pocket  and 
looked  at  it. 

"From  the  moment  of  my  awakening  last  night 
from  the  fool's  paradise  in  which  I  've  been  living 
the  past  year  my  mind  has  been  at  work  on  solving 
the  one  unsolved  problem  in  this  dredge  to  which 
he  refers.  It  came  to  me  like  a  flash  while  at  work 
this  mornine." 


A  VISION  FROM  THE  HILLTOP    281 

"Your  invention  will  succeed  ?'*  she  interrupted. 

**  Beyond  the  shadow  of  a  doubt,"  he  said,  with 
enthusiasm.  **  I  did  n't  solve  it  before  because  I 
lacked  the  incentive  to  apply  my  mind  to  it." 

"And  you  got  the  incentive  in  your  defeat?" 
she  asked,  in  surprise. 

"Yes.  Deprived  of  my  toys,  I  came  back  ta 
myself,  the  source  of  power." 

"  But  your  incentive  —  I  don't  understand  — • 
in   such  an  hour  ?" 

"A  very  simple,  very  old,  but  very  powerful  one, 
I  'm  beginning  to  think,  the  source  of  all  human 
progress — the  determination  to  build  a  home  here 
in  one  of  these  flower-robed  hills  overlooking  the 
sea,  and  bring  my  bride  to  it  some  glorious  day  like 
this  when  every  tree  is  festooned  with  joy!  I  don't 
want  a  modest  cottage.  My  bride  was  born  a 
queen.  Every  line  of  her  delicate  and  sensitive 
face  proclaims  her  royal  ancestry.  She  shall  have 
a  palace.  Love,  Beauty,  Music,  Art,  and  Truth 
shall  be  her  servants.  I  shall  be  the  magician  who 
will  create  all  this  out  of  the  dirt  men  are  now 
trampling  under  foot  along  the  beach." 

Barbara  drew  a  deep  breath,  trembled,  and 
looked  away. 

"  I  promised  her  never  to  speak  of  love  again 
until  her  own  dear  lips  called  me,  and  I  will  not, 
though  I  fear  sometimes  the  waiting  seems  long." 


282  COMRADES 

*'And  if  she  never  calls?"  the  girl  asked, 
dreamily. 

"Then  my  palace  shall  remain  silent  and 
empty.     Her  hand  alone  can  open  its  doors." 

"And  if  I  do  not  see  you  often  while  your  palace 
is  building,  you  may  know  at  least  I  have  not 
forgotten  —  and  you  will  understand  ? " 

"Yes,  I  will  understand,"  he  answered,  with 
elation. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

IN  LOVE  AND  WAR 

WITH  untiring  zeal  Norman  gave  himself 
to  work  on  the  dredge.  Wolf  refused  to 
modify  his  original  order  that  a  full  day  should 
first  be  given  as  a  labourer  in  the  foundry  and 
machine  shops  before  he  could  devote  himself  to 
his  invention. 

This  proved  an  advantage  rather  than  a  hin- 
drance. By  his  unfailing  courtesy,  good  fellow- 
ship, skill,  and  wit,  Norman  won  his  fellow  work- 
men as  warm  personal  friends.  He  was  able  thus 
to  secure  all  the  assistance  he  needed  in  his  work. 

Within  two  months  the  big  dredge  was  finished. 

From  the  first  the  regent  had  regarded  Norman's 
fad  with  contempt.  That  he  could  succeed  in 
making  money  out  of  dirt  containing  but  twenty 
cents'  worth  of  gold  to  a  ton  was  an  absurdity  on 
its   face. 

While  the  young  inventor  worked  day  and  night 
with  tireless  energy  the  regent  quietly  perfected 
his  grip  on  the  life  of  the  rapidly  growing  colony. 
To  render  escape  from  the  island  or  communica- 
tion with  the  coast  more  impossible  than  ever,  he 

283 


284  COMRADES 

established  the  strict  system  of  double  patrol 
around  each  community.  No  member  of  the 
Brotherhood  was  allowed  to  leave  his  room  at 
night  without  permission.  Beyond  the  outer 
patrol  a  mounted  guard  was  established  and  the 
entire  line  of  beach  was  guarded  by  watchmen  in 
relays  who  reported  each  hour,  day  and  night,  by 
telephone   to   the   commandant. 

At  the  end  of  two  months  of  Wolf's  merciless 
rule  the  efficiency  of  labour  had  so  decreased,  it 
was  necessary  to  lengthen  the  number  of  hours 
from  eight  to  nine.  As  every  inducement  to 
efficiency  of  labour  had  been  removed  there  was 
no  incentive  to  any  man  to  do  more  than  he  must 
without  a  fight  v/ith  his  guard  or  overseer.  No 
vote  was  permitted  on  the  question  of  increasing 
the  hours  of  labour.  The  board  of  governors 
passed  the  order  which  Wolf  wrote  out  for  them 
without  a  dissenting  voice. 

Norman  had  no  trouble  in  getting  a  gang  of 
willing  hands  to  push  the  monster  gold-digger 
into  position  on  one  of  the  sand-points  inside  the 
harbour. 

It  was  mounted  on  a  float  twenty-five  feet 
wide  and  sixty-five  feet  long.  For  power  it  carried 
two  fifty-horse-power  distillate  engines.  Tom 
was  in  charge  of  one  and  Joe  of  the  other.  For 
raising  the  sand  and  gravel   containing  the  gold 


IN  LOVE  AND  WAR  285 

two  big  Jackson   gravel-pumps  were  located  on 
opposite  corners  at  the  front  end  of  the  float. 

Old  Tom  blew  the  whistle,  the  engines  started, 
and  in  an  hour  the  pumps  had  raised  a  hundred 
tons  of  sand  and  gravel  and  deposited  them  in 
the  concentrating  flumes.  Norman  worked  the 
dredge  all  night  without  a  moment's  pause  and  in 
twelve  hours  his  pumps  had  lifted  fifteen  hundred 
tons  of  sand,  showing  a  capacity  of  3,000  tons  per 
day.  When  the  gold  was  extracted  and  weighed 
it  was  found  that  the  dredge  had  averaged  twenty 
cents  from  each  ton  of  sand  and  that  it  would 
cost  less  than  three  cents  a  ton  to  operate 
the  entire  machinery  of  its  production.  The 
first  experimental  machine  alone  would  net  ^500 
dollars  a  day,  or  $150,000  a  year.  He  could  put 
five  of  these  machines  to  work  in  three  months 
and  make  ;^3,ooo  a  day. 

The  invention  stirred  the  colony  to  its  depths. 
Norman's  appearance  was  the  signal  for  a  burst 
of  cheering  wherever  he  went. 

Wolf  was  dumfounded.  He  called  his  board 
of  governors  together  at  once  and  ordered  them 
to  enact  a  new  law  to  meet  the  situation. 

Norman  announced  in  the  Era  that  he  would 
give  the  Brotherhood  from  the  beginning  one 
half  the  net  earnings  of  his  machines,  and  asked 


286  COMRADES 

the  board  of  governors  at  once  to  grant  him  the 
men  needed  to  build  and  operate  enough  dredges 
to  reduce  the  hours  of  labour  from  nine  to  seven. 

Wolf  met  the  emergency  with  prompt  and 
vigorous  action.  He  suspended  the  editor  for 
printing  the  announcement  and  set  him  to  work 
carrying  a  hod. 

He  issued  a  proclamation  as  regent  that  the 
dredge  in  the  hands  of  its  inventor  threatened  the 
existence  of  the  State,  declared  the  law  of  inven- 
tions under  which  it  was  built  suspended,  and 
ordered  Norman  to  at  once  operate  the  machine 
for  the  sole  benefit  of  the  State  and  begin 
the  construction  of  twenty  dredges  of  equal 
capacity. 

When  Norman  received  this  order  he  set  to 
work  without  a  moment's  delay  and  made  a  half- 
dozen  dynamite  bombs,  gave  one  each  to  Tom  and 
Joe  and  their  assistants,  laid  in  a  supply  of  pro- 
visions, erected  a  tent  on  the  beach  beside  the 
dredge,  and  set  the  big  machine  to  work  for  all 
it  was  worth. 

Wolf  promptly  ordered  his  arrest.  The  men 
who  attempted  to  execute  the  order  fled  in  terror 
at  the  sight  of  the  bombs  and  reported  for 
instructions. 

Wolf  came  in  person  at  the  head  of  a  picked 
company  of  fifty  guards. 


IN  LOVE  AND  WAR  287 

Norman  had  stretched  a  rope  a  hundred  feet 
from  the  dredge  and  posted  a  notice  that  he  would 
kill  any  man  daring  to  cross  it  without  his 
permission. 

Wolf  paused  at  the  rope.  Norman  stood  alone 
on  one  of  the  big  pumps  with  his  arms  folded 
watching  his  enemy  in  silence. 

The  captain  of  the  guard  laid  his  hand  on  the 
regent's  arm: 

*'  You  'd  better  not  try  it." 

"He  won't  dare,"  Wolf  growled. 

"Yes,  he  will,"  the  captain  insisted. 

"I  '11  risk  it,"  the  regent  snapped. 

"Are  you  mad  .f'  What's  the  use.?  He'll  blow 
it  up.  You  can't  rebuild  the  dredge  —  no  one 
understands  it.  Use  common  sense.  Send  the 
girl  with  a  flag  of  truce  and  ask  for  a  conference." 

"A  good  idea  —  if  it  works,"  Wolf  answered 
hesitating. 

"It's  worth  trying,"  the  captain  urged. 

Wolf  returned  to  the  house  with  his  men,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  Barbara  came  to  Norman,  her 
face  white  with  terror,  her  voice  quivering  with 
pleading  intensity. 

"Please,"  she  gasped,  "for  my  sake,  I  beg 
of  you  not  to  do  this  insane  thing !  The 
regent  asks  for  a  conference  under  a  flag  of  truce. 
He  recognizes  that  it  is  impossible  that  you  should 


283  COMRADES 

remain  here  after  what  has  happened.  He  asks 
for  a  half-hour's  talk  with  you  to  offer  an  adjust- 
ment under  which  you  can  resign  and  return  to 
San  Francisco." 

"It 's  a  trick  and  a  lie.  He  's  deceiving  you," 
Norman  replied,  sullenly. 

"No,  I  swear  it 's  true.  He  is  in  earnest, 
Catherine  is  beside  herself  with  fear  lest  he  be 
killed.  He  swore  to  her  as  he  swore  to  me  to 
respect  your  wishes.  I  '11  gladly  give  my  life 
if  he  proves  false." 

Norman  turned  his  face  away  and  looked  over 
the  still,  blue  waters,  struggling  with  himself  as 
he  felt  the  tug  of  her  soft  hand  on  his  heart. 

Suddenly  a  hundred  men  with  ¥7olf  at  their 
head  sprang  over  the  steep  embankment  and 
rushed  to  the  dredge.  Tom  leaped  to  his  feet  and 
lifted  his  bomb  without  a  word. 

Norman  covered  Barbara  and  grasped  his 
uplifted  arm. 

"It's  all  over  boys.  I've  surrendered!"  he 
shouted. 

Barbara  faced  Wolf  with  blazing  eyes: 

"You  have  betrayed  my  trust!" 

Wolf  brushed  her  aside  and  confronted  Norman, 
who  had  thrown  the  bomb  he  had  taken  from 
Tom's  hand  into  the  sea. 

Norman  paid  no  attention  to  Wolf,  and  seemed 


IN  LOVE  AND  WAR  289 

to  see  only  the  girl's  face  convulsed  with  passion. 
His  eyes  never  left  her  for  a  moment. 

Wolf  turned  and  secured  the  other  men  who 
had  defended  the  dredge,  marching  them  with 
their  hands  tied  behind  their  backs  between  two 
rows  of  guardsmen  off  to  jail. 

Norman  spoke  at  last  to  Barbara  in  low,  cold 
tones: 

"I  congratulate  you." 

"What  do  you  mean  ?"  she  gasped. 

"That  you  are  a  superb  actress.  You  have 
played  your  part  to  perfection.  Your  role  was 
very  dramatic,  too.  A  clumsy  woman  would 
have  bungled  it,  and  lost  even  at  the  last  moment." 

"You  cannot  believe  that  I  willingly  betrayed 
you?"  she  cried,   in  anguish. 

"I  wish  I  had  died  before  I  knew  it,"  he 
answered,  bitterly. 

Barbara  pressed  close  to  his  side  and  seized 
his  hand  fiercely.  He  turned  away  with 
a   shudder. 

"Look  at  me,"  she  pleaded. 

He  turned  and  faced  her  with  a  look  of  anger. 

"Words  are  idle.  Deeds  speak  louder  than 
words." 

"Norman,  you  are  killing  me  with  this  cruel 
doubt!"  she  sobbed.  "I  give  up!  I  love  you! 
I  love  you!" 


290  COMRADES 

She  threw  her  arms  around  his  neck  and  her 
head  sank  on  his  breast. 

He  resisted  for  a  moment,  then  clasped  her  to 
his  heart,  bent  and  kissd  her  with  passionate 
tenderness. 

"You  believe  me  now.''"  she  cried,  through 
her  tears. 

"God  forgive  me  for  doubting  you  for  a 
moment!"  he  answered,  earnestly. 

The  guard  suddenly  drew  Norman  from  her 
arms,  tied  his  hands,  and  led  him  away  to  prison 
while  the  little  figure  followed,  sobbing  in  help- 
less anguish. 

Wolf  vv^alked  behind,  his  big  mouth  twitching 
with  smiles  he  could  not  suppress. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

A   PRIMITIVE    LOVER 

WOLF  led  Barbara  into  his  office,  lighted  the 
lamp,  and  waited  in  patience  for  her  first 
blinding  surrender  to  grief  to  spend  itself  before 
speaking. 

He  stood  over  her  at  last  with  a  smile,  bent 
and  touched  her  brown  curls. 

The  girl  sprang  to  her  feet  and  faced  him. 

"It 's  no  use,  my  beauty,  I  'm  on  to  your  tricks 
now! 

The  little  figure  stiffened,  and  her  gaze 
was  steady,  though  her  fingers  trembled  as 
she  nervously  twisted  the  tiny  handkerchief 
she  held. 

"You  've  been  playing  me  for  a  fool  for  the  past 
two  months.  Your  eyes  have  been  laughing  into 
mine  with  all  sorts  of  little  daring  suggestions 
when  you  had  an  axe  to  grind  at  my  expense. 
And  then  you  had  a  habit  of  disappearing  until 
you  needed  something  else.  You  were  off  billing 
and  cooing  with  our  hero  and  smiling  at  my 
stupidity  behind  my  back." 

"  I  've  spoken  to  him  to-day,"  Barbara  answered 
291 


292  COMRADES 

solemnly,  "the  first  words  of  love  that  ever 
passed    my   Hps." 

"You  did  pretty  well  for  an  amateur,  if  that 
was  the  first  kiss  you  ever  gave  him." 

"It  was  the  first!"  she  said,  defiantly. 

"  It  will  be  the  last  for  him." 

"  Perhaps,"  she  answered,with  a  curl  to  her  lips. 

"You  think  I  don't  mean  it  ?"  Wolf  demanded, 
stepping  close  and  thrusting  his  massive  head  for- 
ward while  his  big  fists  closed. 

"  I  don't  doubt  it,"  she  answered,  firmly.  "  But 
I  'm  not  afraid  of  you,  Herman." 

"You  doubt  my  power.?"  he  asked. 

"Over  others,  no." 

"But  over  you  ?" 

Wolf  suddenly  grasped  her. 

The  girl  shrank  back  in  terror  for  an  instant, 
and  then,  to  his  surprise,  her  hand  was  still 
and  cold  and  steady.  Not  a  tremor  in  the  tense 
body.  Her  brown  eyes,  staring  wide,  held  his 
gaze  without  a  sign  of  weakness  or  of  fear.  Some- 
thing in  her  attitude  startled  the  beast  within  him. 
He  suddenly  dropped  her  hand  and  changed  his 
tone. 

"Come,  let's  not  quarrel!  Don't  be  foolish. 
It  is  for  you  I  've  been  scheming  and  planning  the 
past  year.  For  you  the  regent's  palace  was 
planned.     Within  five  years  a  hundred  thousand 


"Wolf  Grasped  Her. 


A  PRIMITIVE  LOVER  293 

people  will  be  here.  The  State  will  be  rich 
beyond  our  wildest  dreams,  and  I  shall  be  the 
State.     I  want  you  to  sit  by  my  side." 

"You  say  this  to  me  after  all  that  Catherine  has 
been  to  you  and  your  life?" 

*'  And  why  not  ?  If  I  no  longer  love,  should  I  be 
chained  ?" 

"And  this  is  the  ideal  you  came  here  to  build  ?" 
she  asked,  with  scorn. 

"Certainly.  It  is  the  essence  of  Socialism.  In 
my  next  proclamation  I  shall  declare  for  the  free- 
dom of  love.  Every  great  Socialist  has  preached 
this.  Marriage  and  the  family  form  the  tap- 
root out  of  which  the  whole  system  of  capital- 
ism grew.  The  system  can  never  be  destroyed 
until  the  family  is  annihilated.  I  had  thought  you 
a  woman  whose  brilliant  intellect  had  faced  this 
issue  and  broken  the  chains  of  a  degrading  bour- 
geois morality." 

"The  chains  of  love,  I  find,  are  very  sweet," 
she  interrupted,  with  dreamy  tenderness. 

"You  talk  this  twaddle  about  romantic  love? 
You,  the  leader  of  a  revolution!  Come,  you  are 
no  longer  a  child.  We  are  living  now  in  the  world 
of  freedom  and  reality  where  men  and  women  say 
the  unspoken  things  and  live  to  the  utmost  reach 
of  their  being,  body  and  soul." 

"Is  it  a  world  worth  living  in  ?"  she  asked. 


294  COMRADES 

*'Was  the  old  world  of  family  life,  of  starvation 
and  misery,  worth  living  in?"  Wolf  retorted. 

"Perhaps  I  might  have  said  no  an  hour  ago, 
but  now  that  my  lips  have  met  my  lover's  the 
dream  of  the  old  family  life,  with  its  sanctity  and 
purity,  begins  to  call  me.  And  something  deep 
down  within  answers  with  a  cry  of  joy.  Why  should 
you  desire  me,  knowing  that  I  thus  love  another  ?'* 

"You  can  love  where  you  like,"  he  snapped,  as 
his  big  jaws  came  together.  "I  can  get  along 
without  your  love.  I  just  want  you  —  and  I  *m 
going  to  have  you!" 

"I'll  die  first!" 

"We  shall  see.     Time  works  wonders.'* 

With  a  shudder  Barbara  turned  and  left  him. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

EQUALITY 

BARBARA  asked  Wolf  for  permission  to  visit 
Norman   in   prison. 

The  Regent  shook  his  head. 

"No,  my  little  beauty,  it 's  not  wise.  I  promise 
you  that  not  a  hair  of  his  head  shall  be  harmed. 
He  is  safe  and  well.  If  you  wish  to  test  my  power, 
try  to  bribe  my  guards  and  see  him." 

Day  after  day  Barbara  sought  in  vain  to  gain 
admittance  to  the  jail,  send  or  receive  a  message 
from  within.  Her  lover  had  disappeared  as 
completely  as  if  the  earth  had  opened  and 
swallowed  his  body. 

The  episode  of  the  dredge  was  the  last  effort 
to  question  the  power  of  the  regent.  The  day 
after  its  capture  Wolf  put  the  men  who  had 
helped  Norman  build  it  to  work  operating  the  big 
machine,  and  its  huge  pumps  began  to  throb  in 
perfect  tim^e,  piling  ton  on  ton  of  gold-bearing  sand 
and  gravel  into  the  flumes,  as  faithful  to  the  touch 
of  the  thief  who  had  stolen  it  as  to  the  hand  of  the 
man  of  genius  who  invented  it. 

The  head  machinist  he  ordered  to  build 
295 


296  COMRADES 

five  duplicates,  and  placed  the  entire  working 
force  of  the  mechanical  department  at  once  on 
the  job. 

The  daily  New  Era  received  a  number  of 
protests  against  the  outrage  of  the  inventor's  arrest 
and  imprisonment.  Two  protests  were  signed  by 
the  names  of  the  writers,  Diggs  and  the  Bard. 
There  appeared  in  the  paper  a  warning  editorial 
against  sneaks  who,  under  cover  of  the  cause  of 
justice,  were  seeking  to  aid  treason  and  rebellion 
against  the  State. 

Diggs  and  the  Bard  were  summoned  before  Wolf 
in  person. 

The  regent  fixed  his  gray  eyes  on  Diggs,  and  the 
man  of  questions  forgot  to  smile. 

"You  are  not  dealing  with  an  amateur  now, 
Digo;s,"  Wolf  said,  with  a  sneer.  "The  insulting 
letter  you  wrote " 

"I  —  I  —  beg  your  pardon,  Mr.  Regent," 
Diggs  stammered,  "my  questions  were  asked  in 
the  spirit  of  honest  inquiry." 

"  I  understand  their  spirit,  sir,"  Wolf  growled. 
"  And  don't  you  interrupt  me  again  when  I  'm 
talking!  Your  article  was  seditious.  I  've  a  mind 
to  imprison  you  a  year,  but  as  this  is  your  first 
offence  I  '11  simply  transfer  you  from  the  depart- 
ment of  accounts  to  that  of  garbage  and  sewerage. 
Report  at  once  to  the  overseer." 


EQUALITY  297 

Diggs's  lips  quivered  and  he  tried  to  speak,  but 
Wolf  froze  him  with  a  look  and  he  dropped  to  a 
seat. 

"  I  said  report  at  once,  sir,  to  the  overseer  of  the 
department  of  garbage  and  sewerage.  Did  you 
hear  me  ?"  Wolf  thundered. 

Diggs  leaped  to  his  feet  stammering  and 
retreating. 

"Yes,  sir!  Yes,  sir!  Excuse  me.  I  was  only 
waiting  for  Comrade  Adair,  sir!  Excuse  me,  sir, 
I  'II  go  at  once!" 

He  stumbled  through  the  door  and  disappeared. 

The  Bard  of  Ramcat  watched  this  scene  with 
increasing  terror.  He  had  prepared  an  eloquent 
and  daring  appeal  for  freedom  of  speech.  He 
tried  to  open  his  mouth,  but  Wolf's  gaze  froze  the 
blood  in  his  veins.  His  tongue  refused  to  move. 
He  sat  huddled  in  a  heap,  trembling  and  shifting 
uneasily  in  his  seat. 

At  length  the  regent  spoke  with  sneering 
patronage: 

"You  wield  a  facile  pen,  Adair.  I  admire  the 
glib  ability  with  which  your  pour  out  gaseous 
matter  from  your  overheated  imagination." 

The  Bard  scrambled  to  his  feet  and  bowed  low 
in  humble  submission,  fumbling  his  slouch  hat 
tremblingly. 

"I  meant  no  harm,  sir,  1  assure  you.      A  great 


298  COMRADES 

leader  of  your  power  and  genius  can  make  allow- 
ances for  poetic  fervour.  I  'm  sure  you  know 
that  my  whole  soul  is  aflame  with  enthusiasm  for 
our  noble  Cause!" 

"Well,  upon  my  word,"  Wolf  laughed,  "you  're 
developing  into  a  nimble  liar!  You  used  to  be 
quite  brutal  in  the  frankness  of  your  criticisms." 

*'  But  I  see  the  error  of  my  way,  sir,"  the  Bard 
humbly  cried. 

"Then  I  '11  remit  your  prison  sentence  also  and 
merely  transfer  you  to  the  stone-quarry.  We  need 
more  common  labourers  on  the  rock-pile  there 
preparing  the  macadam  for  the  court  of  the 
regent's  palace.  Report  at  once  to  the  foreman 
of  that  gang." 

"Thank  you,  sir,"  the  Bard  stammered, feebly, 
as  he  backed  out  of  the  room. 

The  poet  bent  his  proud  back  over  the  stone-pile 
for  two  weeks  and  suddenly  disappeared. 

His  hat  was  found  on  a  rustic  seat  on  a  high  cliff 
whose  perpendicular  wall  was  washed  by  the  sea. 
Beneath  this  hat  lay  his  last  manuscript  protest  to 
the  world.     It  was  entitled: 

"The  Journal  of  Roland  Adair,  Bard  of 
Ramcat."  It  was  written  in  blank  verse  and 
proved  a  most  harrowing  recital  of  the  horrors  he 
had  suffered  at  the  hands  of  the  tyrant  regent. 
With    eloquence  fierce  and  fiery  he  called  on  the 


EQUALITY  299 

slaves  who  were  being  ground  beneath  his  heel  to 
rise  in  their  might  and  slay  the  oppressor.  He 
had  chosen  to  die  that  his  death-song  might  stir 
their  souls  to  heroic  action. 

Search  was  made  on  the  beaches  for  his  body 
in  vain.  His  wife's  grief  was  genuine  and  a  few 
of  his  friends  gathered  with  her  on  the  tenth  day 
after  his  disappearance  to  express  their  sorrow  and 
appreciation  in  a  brief  formal  service. 

Diggs  was  delivering  a  funeral  oration  bombard- 
ing Death,  Hell,  and  the  Grave  with  endless  ques- 
tions, when  suddenly  the  Bard  appeared,  pinched 
with  hunger,  his  clothes  covered  with  dirt,  his  long 
hair  dishevelled  and  unkempt.  He  had  evidently 
been  sleeping  in  the  open. 

His  friends  stood  in  wonder.  His  wife  shrieked 
in  terror. 

The  Bard  solemnly  lifted  his  hand  and  cried: 

"  I  stood  on  the  hills  and  waited  for  slaves  to  rise 
and  fight  their  way  to  death  or  freedom.  And  no 
man  stirred!     Did  they  not  find  my  death-song ?'* 

Diggs  spoke  in  timid  accents: 

"The  regent  destroyed  it." 

"Yes,  yes,  but  before  my  death  I  anticipated  his 
treachery.  I  left  ten  mimeographed  copies  where 
they  could  be  found  by  the  people.  If  they  have 
not  been  found  my  death  would  have  been  vain. 
I  waited  to  be  sure.     I  've  come  to  ask." 


300  COMRADES 

"They  were  found  all  right,"  his  wife  cried, 
angrily.     "And  if  Wolf  finds  you  now " 

She  had  scarcely  spoken  when  an  officer  of  the 
secret  service  suddenly  laid  his  hand  on  the  Bard's 
shoulder  and  quietly  said: 

"Come.  We  '11  give  you  something  to  sing  about 
now   worth  while!" 

His  wife  clung  to  the  tottering,  terror-stricken 
figure  for  a  moment  and  burst  in  tears.  His 
friends  shrank  back  in  silence. 

The  regent  had  him  flogged  unmercifully;  and 
Roland  Adair,  the  Bard  of  Ramcat,  ceased  to  sing. 
He  became  a  mere  cog  in  the  wheel  of  things  which 
moved  on  with  swift  certainty  to  its  appointed 
end. 

The  social  system  worked  now  with  deadly 
precision  and  ceaseless  regularity.  No  citizen 
dared  to  speak  against  the  man  in  authority  over 
him  or  complain  to  the  regent,  for  they  were  his 
trusted  henchmen.  Men  and  women  huddled  in 
groups  and  asked  in  whispers  the  news. 

Disarmed  and  at  the  mercy  of  his  brutal 
guard,  cut  off  from  the  world  as  effectually  as 
if  they  lived  on  another  planet,  despair  began  to 
sicken  the  strongest  hearts,  and  suicide  to  be 
more  common  than  in  the  darkest  days  of  panic 
and  hunger  in  the  old  world. 

A  curious  group  of  three  huddled  together  in 


EQUALITY  301 

the  shadows  discussins:  their  fate  on  the  dav  the 
Bard  was  publicly  flogged. 

Uncle  Bob  led  the  whispered  conference  of  woe. 

*'  I  tells  ye,  gemmens,  dis  beats  de  worl'!  Befo' 
de  war  I  wuz  er  slave.  But  1  knowed  my  master. 
We  wuz  good  friends.  He  say  ter  me,  'Bob 
you  'se  de  blackest,  laziest  nigger  dat  ebber  cumber 
de  groun'!  And  I  laf  right  in  his  face  an'  say, 
*  Come  on,  Marse  Henry,  an'  le's  go  fishin'  — 
dey  *11  bite  ter-day'!  An'  he  go  wid  me.  He 
nebber  lay  de  weight  er  his  han  '  on  me  in  his  life. 
He  come  ter  see  me  when  I  sick  an'  cheer  me  up. 
He  gimme  good  clothes  an'  a  good  house  an' 
plenty  ter  eat.  He  love  me,  an'  I  love  him.  I 
tells  ye  I  'se  er  slave  now  an'  I  don't  know  who  de 
debbil  my  master  is.  Dey  change  him  every  ten 
days.  Dey  cuss  an'  kick  me  —  an'  I  work  like  a 
beast.  Dis  yer  comrade  business  too  much  fer 
me. 

"To  tell  you  the  truth,  boys,"  said  a  bowed 
figure  by  old  Bob's  side,  "1  lived  in  a  model 
community  once  before." 

"Oh,  go  'long  dar,  man,  dey  nebber  wuz  er 
nudder  one!"  Bob  protested. 

"Yes.  We  all  wore  the  same  thickness  of 
clothes,  ate  the  same  three  meals  regularly,  never 
over-ate  or  suffered  from  dyspepsia;  all  of  us 
worked  the  same  num.ber  of  hours  a  day,  went  to 


302  COMRADES 

bed  at  the  same  time  and  got  up  at  the  same  time. 
There  was  no  drinking,  cursing,  carousing,  gam- 
bling, stealing,  or  fighting.  We  were  model  people 
and  every  man's  wants  were  met  with  absolute 
equality.  The  only  trouble  was  we  all  lived  in  the 
penitentiary  at  San  Quentin " 

"Des  listen  at  dat  now!"  Bob  exclaimed. 

"Yes,  and  I  found  the  world  outside  a  pretty 
tough  place  to  live  in  when  I  got  out,  too.  I 
thought  I  'd  find  the  real  thing  here  and  slipped 
in.  What 's  the  difference  ?  In  the  pen  we 
wore  a  gray  suit.  We  've  got  it  here  with  a  red 
spangle  on  it.  There  they  decided  the  kind  of 
grub  they  'd  give  us.  The  same  here.  There 
we  worked  at  jobs  they  give  us.  The  same  here. 
There  we  worked  under  overseers  and  guards. 
So  we  do  here.  I  was  sent  up  there  for  two  years. 
It  looks  like  we  're  in  here  for  life." 

"How  long,  O  Lord,  how  long,  will  Thy 
servant  wait  for  deliverance .?"  cried  Methodist 
John,  in  plaintive  despair.  "If  I  only  could 
get  back  to  the  poorhouse!  There  I  had  food 
and  shelter  and  clothes.  It 's  all  I  've  got  here 
—  but  with  it  work,  work,  work!  and  a  wicked, 
sinful,  cussin'  son  of  the  devil  always  over  me 
drivin'   and  watchin'!" 

John's  jaw  suddenly  dropped  as  a  black  cloud 
swept  in  from  the  sea  and  obscured  the  sun.     A 


EQUALITY 


303 


squall  of  unusual  violence  burst  over  the  island 
with  wonderful  swiftness.  The  darkness  of  twi- 
light fell  like  a  pall,  and  a  sharp  peal  of  thunder 
rang  over  the  harbour. 

John  watched  the  progress  of  the  storm  with 
strange  elation,  quietly  walked  through  the  blind- 
ing, drenching  rain  to  the  barn,  and  drew  from  the 
forks  of  two   trees  a  lightning-rod   about  thirty 
i  feet  long  which  Norman  had  finally  made  for  him 
'  in  answer  to  his  constant  pleading.     The  tip  of 
the  rod  was  pointed  with  a  dozen  shining  spikes. 
I     John  seized  this  rod,  held  it  straight  over  his 
head,  and  began  to  march  with  firm  step  around 
.the  lawn.     He  walked  with  slow,  measured  tread 
■past  the  two  big  colony  houses  to  the  amazement 
'  of  the  people  who  stood  at  the  windows  watching 
Ithe  storm.     He  held  his  lightning-rod  as  a  soldier 
'a  musket  on  dress-parade,  his  eyes  fixed  straight 
in  front.     As  he  passed  through  the  floral  court 
between  the  two  buildings  he  burst  into    an   old 
Methodist    song,    his    cracked    voice    ringing    in 
weird  and  plaintive  tones  with  the  sigh  and  crash 
of  the  wind  among  the  foliage  of  the  trees  ard 
shrubbery; 

"  I  want  to  be  an  angel, 

And  with  the  angels  stand, 
A  crown  upon  my  forehead, 
A  harp  within  my  hand." 


304  COMRADES 

Over  and  over  he  sang  this  stanza  with  increas- 
ing fervour  as  he  marched  steadily  on  through 
every  path  around  the  buildings,  his  rain- 
soaked  clothes  clinging  to  his  flesh  and 
flopping  dismally  about  his  thin  legs.  As  the 
storm  suddenly  lifted  he  stopped  in  front  of 
the  kitchen,  dropped  his  rod,  and  sank  with  a 
groan  to  his  knees  taking  up  again  his  old 
refrain : 

**How  long,  O  Lord,  how  long?" 

Old  Bob  ran  out  and  shook  him. 

"Name  er  God,  man,  what  de  matter  wid  you  ? 
Is  you  gone  clean  crazy .?  What  you  doin' 
monkeyin'  wid  dat  Hghtnin'-rod  .?" 

John  lifted  his  drooping  head  and  sighed: 

"You  see,  neighbour,  I  don't  like  to  kill  myself. 
It 's  against  my  religion.  It  seems  like  taking 
things  out  of  the  hands  of  God.  But  I  thought 
the  Lord,  in  His  infinite  wisdom  and  mercy, 
might  be  kind  enough  to  spare  me  a  bolt  if  I  lifted 
my  rod  and  put  myself  in  the  way.  If  he  had 
only  seen  fit  to  do  it,  I  'd  be  at  rest  now  in  the 
courts  of  glory!" 

"Dis  here's  a  sad  worl',  brudder,"  Bob  said 
comfortingly.  "'Pears  lak  ter  me  de  Lawd  doan* 
lib  here  no  mo'." 

Before  John  could  reply,  a  guard  arrested  him 
for  disorderly  conduct.     The  regent  kicked  him 


EQUALITY  305 

from  his  office  and  ordered  him  to  prison  on  a 
diet  of  bread  and  water  for  a  week. 

The  slightest  criticism  of  his  reign  Wolf 
resented  with  instant  and  crushing  cruelty.  His 
system  of  spies  was  complete  and  his  knowledge 
of  every  man's  attitude  accurate  and  full.  Where- 
ever  he  appeared,  he  received  the  most  cringing 
obeisance. 

Especially  did  women  tremble  at  his  approach 
and  count  themselves  happy  if  he  condescended 
to  smile. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

A    BROTHER   TO   THE    BEAST 

AT  THE  end  of  three  months  from  the  time 
l\.  he  took  possession  of  the  dredge,  Wolf's 
men  had  built  five  duplicates,  and  they  were 
all  at  work.  More  than  three  thousand  dollars' 
worth  of  gold  he  weighed  daily  and  stored  in 
secret   vaults   whose   keys   never   left   his  grasp. 

The  new  colony  he  landed  in  groups  of  two 
hundred  at  intervals  of  sufficient  time  to  assign 
each  new  member  to  work  where  the  least  trouble 
could  be  given.  The  strictest  search  for  arms 
and  weapons  of  every  kind  was  made  before  each 
person  was  allowed  to  land. 

It  took  only  about  two  weeks  to  bring  the  new 
group  into  perfect  subjection.  Spies  reported 
every  word  of  surprise  and  criticism  that  fell  from 
the  lips  of  a  newcomer. 

The  overseer  of  each  gang  of  labourers  was 
required  to  complete  the  task  assigned  to  him  by 
the  standard  of  the  very  best  records  labour 
had  ever  made,  and  to  secure  these  results  it  was 
necessary  to  constantly  lengthen  the  hours  of  each 
day's     service.      As    the    efficiency    of    labour 

306 


A  BROTHER  TO  THE  BEAST      307 

decreased  the  entire  colony  gradually  gravitated 
to  the  basis  of  convict  service.  As  no  man  received 
more  than  food,  clothes,  and  shelter  there  could  be 
no  conceivable  motive  to  induce  any  one  to  work 
harder  than  was  necessary  to  escape  the  lash  of  the 
overseer.  Consequently  the  hours  of  labour  were 
increased  from  nine  to  ten. 

The  one  ambition  now  of  every  man  was  to  win 
the  favour  of  the  authorities,  and  become  one  of 
the  regent's  guard,  an  overseer,  or  find  relief  from 
the  hard,  brutal  tasks  imposed  on  the  great 
majority.  The  road  to  promotion  could  not  be 
found  in  achievement. 

The  power  to  assign  and  enforce  work  was  the 
mightiest  force  ever  developed  in  the  hand  of  man. 
Under  the  system  of  capitalism  wealth  was 
desirable  because  it  meant  power  over  men.  But 
this  power  was  always  limited.  Under  the  free 
play  of  natural  law  no  man,  even  the  poorest,  could 
be  commanded  to  work  by  a  superior  power.  He 
could  always  quit  if  he  liked.  He  might  choose 
to  go  hungry,  or  apply  to  the  charity  society  for 
help  in  the  last  resort,  but  he  was  still  master  of  his 
own  person.  His  will  was  supreme.  He,  and  he 
alone,  could  say,  I  will,  or  I  will  not. 

Here  all  was  changed.  A  new  force  in  human 
history  had  been  created.  Wealth  beyond  all  the 
dreams  of  passion  and  avarice  was  in  the  grasp 


3o8  COMRADES 

of  the  regent  and  his  henchmen.  He  wielded  the 
most  autocratic  and  merciless  power  over  men  con- 
ceivable to  the  human  imagination  —  a  power 
final  and  resistless,  from  which  there  could  be  no 
appeal  save  in  death  itself. 

The  results  of  this  power  quickly  began  to  show 
in  the  development  of  life  around  the  regent  and 
each  of  his  trusted  minions. 

By  the  time  the  theatre  and  music  hall  were 
finished  and  opened,  Wolf  had  selected  more  than 
a  hundred  of  the  prettiest  girls  in  the  colony  for 
the  two   stages. 

His  method  of  selection  w^as  always  the  same. 
The  girl  he  desired  he  secretly  ordered  to  be 
assigned  to  a  dirty  or  disgusting  form  of  labour. 
He  allowed  her  to  rave  in  hopeless  anger  at  her 
tasks  until  she  found  that  all  appeal  was  in  vain 
and  her  doom  sealed. 

He  then  made  it  his  business  to  call,  express  his 
surprise  at  the  task  to  which  she  had  been  assigned, 
and  smile  vaguely  at  her  eager  appeal  for  a  change. 

If  she  proved  charming  to  the  regent  she  was 
promptly  assigned  to  the  chorus  of  the  State 
theatre  and  given  luxurious  quarters  in  the 
building  adjoining. 

Their  tasks  were  light  and  agreeable.  They 
studied  music  and  dancing  and  elocution.  But, 
above  all,  they  studied  day  and  night  the  art  of 


A  BROTHER  TO  THE  BEAST      309 

pleasing  the  regent,  whose  frown  could  send  any 
of  them  instantly  to  the  washtub  or  the  scrubbing- 
brush. 

In  like  manner  around  the  personality  of  each 
guard,  overseer,  secret-service  man,  superinten- 
dent, and  governor  of  departments  there  grew  a 
coterie  of  favoured  ones  whose  position  depended 
solely  on  the  whim  of  the  man  in  power. 

The  State  only  could  manufacture  arms.  The 
State  only  could  bear  arms.  And  the  system  of 
law  which  Socialism  developed  was  so  full,  so 
minute  in  its  touch  on  every  detail  of  human  life, 
and  so  merciless  in  its  system  of  espionage,  the 
very  idea  of  revolution  was  slowly  dying  in  the 
despairing  hearts  of  the  colonists. 

So  sure  was  Wolf  of  his  victim  when  once  he 
had  marked  her,  he  was  merely  amused  rather  than 
displeased  over  Barbara's  defiance  of  his  wishes. 

A  few  days  before  the  opening  and  dedication 
of  the  regent's  palace,  when  all  his  preparations 
were  complete.  Wolf  summoned  Catherine. 

"I  have  here,"  he  began,  "my  proclamation  for 
the  complete  establishment  of  a  perfect  Social 
State.  1  publish  it  to-morrow  morning.  It  goes 
into  effect  immediately: 

*"From  to-day  the  State  of  Ventura  enters  upon 
the  reign  of  pure  Communism  which  is  the  only 
logical  end  of  Socialism.     All  private  property  is 


310 


COMRADES 


hereby  abolished.  The  claim  of  husband  to  the 
person  of  his  wife  as  his  own  can  no  longer  be 
tolerated.  Love  is  free  from  all  chains.  Marriage 
will  hereafter  be  celebrated  by  a  simple  declaration 
before  a  representative  of  the  State,  and  it  shall 
cease  to  bind  at  the  will  of  either  party.  Complete 
freedom  in  the  sex-relationship  is  left  to  the  judg- 
ment and  taste  of  a  race  of  equally  developed  men 
and  women.  The  State  will  interfere,  when  neces- 
sary, to  regulate  the  birth-rate  and  maintain  the 
limits  of  efficient  population.'" 

"Which  means  for  me  ?"  Catherine  inquired. 

"That  you  are  divorced  and  free  to  marry  whom 
you  please." 

The  woman  uttered  a  cry  of  anguish,  threw  her 
arms  around  Wolf's  big  neck,  and  burst  into  sobs. 

*'  Oh,  Herman,  surely  you  have  some  pity  left  in 
your  heart!  For  God's  sake,  don't  cast  me  out 
of  your  life  in  this  cruel,  horrible  way!" 

He  turned  his  stolid  face  away  with  cold 
indifference. 

She  lifted  her  tapering  hand  timidly  and 
smoothed  the  coarse  hair  back  from  his  forehead 
with  a  tender  gesture. 

"Can  you  forget,"  she  went  on,  in  low,  passion- 
ate tones,  "  all  we  have  been  to  one  another  through 
the  long,  dark  years  of  our  fight  with  poverty  and 
oppression  ?      All    I    have  done   for  your    sake  ? 


A  BROTHER  TO  THE  BEAST      311 

That  I  broke  my  husband's  heart — for  he  ioved 
me  even  as  I  love  you — I  left  my  babies,  and  have 
never  seen  them  since;  broke  with  every  friend 
and  loved  one  on  earth  for  you!  Have  you 
forgotten  all  I  have  done  in  this  work  ?  The  tire- 
less zeal  with  which  1  've  fought  your  battles  ? 
Can  you  kick  me  from  your  presence  now  as 
though  I  were  a  dog  ?" 

Wolf  pursed  his  thick  lips  and  scowled. 

"No,  I  mean  that  you  shall  stay  where  you  are 
and  take  charge  of  my  new  household.  Barbara 
will  need  your  assistance." 

"Barbara!"  she  gasped. 

"  I  have  chosen  her  as  the  new  regent,"  Wolf 
calmly  answered.  'T  will  announce  our  mar- 
riage at  the  dedication  of  the  palace." 

"And  you  think  that  I  will  accept  such  shame  ^'* 

**I  *m  sure  you  will!"  he  quickly  answered  with 
an  ominous  threat  in  his  tone. 

The  woman  sprang  to  her  feet  and  faced  him, 
her  tall,  lithe  figure  tense  with  passion. 

"I  dare  you  to  try  it!" 

"Dare  ?"  W^olf  repeated  in  a  low  growl. 

"I  said  it!"  she  cried,  defiantly.  "From  the 
very  housetop  I  *ll  shout  tlie  story  of  our  life.  I  '11 
show  you  I  'm  a  power  you  must  reckon 
with " 

"And  I  '11  show  you,  "  Wolf  answered  "that 


312  COMRADES 

there  's  but  one  power  that  counts  now  in  the 
world  of  realities  in  which  we  live  —  the  elemental 
force  of  tooth,  and  nail,  and  claw  —  do  you  under- 
stand?" 

He  thrust  his  big,  ugly  face  into  hers  and  a 
look  of  terror  flashed  from  her  eyes  as  she  saw 
his  features  convulsed  with  fury. 

"Please,  Herman!"  she  pleaded  at  last  in  a 
feeble,  childish  voice. 

"You  are  still  daring  me  ?" 

"No,  I  give  up  —  surely  you  will  not  strike  me!" 
she  gasped. 

"Not  unless  I  have  to,"  he  answered,  with  cold 
menace. 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

LOVE  AND  LOCKSMITHS 

BARBARA  sat  in  the  little  rose  bower  on  the 
lawn  puzzling  her  brain  for  the  thousandth 
time  over  impossible  schemes  to  communicate  with 
Norman. 

From  day  to  day  she  had  watched  with  increas- 
ing fear  the  rapid  growth  of  Wolf's  cruel  instincts 
under  the  conditions  of  tyranny  he  had  established. 

She  had  appealed  in  vain  to  every  man  in 
authority.  Everywhere  the  same  answer.  The 
regent's  power  inspired  a  terror  which  no  appeal 
could  penetrate. 

She  started  with  a  sudden  thought.  Among 
the  guards  who  stood  watch  at  Wolf's  door  was  the 
nineteen-year-old  boy  who  had  acted  as  usher  and 
shown  Norman  to  a  seat  in  the  Socialist  Hall  the 
night  they  met. 

She  had  caught  a  peculiar  look  in  his  face  the 
last  time  she  entered  Wolf's  office.  Could  it  be 
possible  he  was  in  love  with  her  in  the  helpless, 
heroic,  boy  fashion  of  his  age  ?  She  would  put  him 
to  the  test.     It  was  worth  trying. 

She  found  him  on  guard  in  the  corridor  outside 
313 


314  COMRADES 

Wolf's  door,  approached  him  cautiously,  touched 
his  hand  timidly,  and  whispered: 

"  Jimmy,  I  'm  in  great  distress." 

*'I  wish  I  could  help  you.  Miss  Barbara,"  he 
answered  in  low,  earnest  tones,  sweeping  the 
corridor  with  a  quick  look. 

"Even  at  the  risk  of  your  life .?" 

"I  'd  jump  at  the  chance  to  die  for  you!"  was 
the  simple  answer. 

Barbara's  voice  choked  and  her  little  hand 
caught  the  boy's  gratefully.  His  conquest  was  too 
easy,  his  love  too  big  and  generous!  "I  wish  I 
could  do  it,  Jimmy,  without  letting  you  risk  your 
life,  but  I  must  see  Norman." 

"  I  '11  help  you  if  I  can.  Miss  Barbara,  but  I 
don't  know  how.  The  jailer  won't  let  me  in  with- 
out an  order  from  the  regent." 

"I  '11  go  in  now,"  she  went  on,  "get  a  piece  of 
paper  from  his  desk,  forge  the  order,  and  sign  his 
name.  I  can  imitate  his  handwriting.  I  '11  give 
it  to  you  immediately,  and  watch  until  you  get 
back  to  your  post." 

*'I  '11  do  it!"  the  boy  answered,  his  eyes  shining. 

"Tell  Norman,"  Barbara  whispered,  "that  I 
have  found  Saka  in  the  hills.  He  has  built  a 
skiff  and  has  it  ready  to  sail  with  his  message  for 
reUef." 

"I  understand." 


LOVE  AND  LOCKSMITHS  315 

She  entered  Wolf's  office  unannounced  and 
surprised  him  with  her  girlish  buoyancy  of  spirit. 

With  a  light  laugh  she  sprang  on  his  big  desk, 
sat  down  among  his  papers,  and  deftly  closed  her 
hand  over  one  of  his  small  official  order-pads. 

"I  cannot  see  Norman,  to-day?"  she  asked. 

"Not  to-day,  my  dear.  A  little  later,  yes,  but 
not  to-day!" 

He  laughed  carelessly  and  turned  in  his  arm- 
chair to  a  messenger: 

"Take  that  order  to  the  captain  of  the  guard 
and  tell  him  to  report  to  me  at  seven  o'clock 
to-night." 

While  he  spoke,  the  girl  slipped  from  her  place 
on  the  desk  and  thrust  the  order  pad  in  her  pocket. 

"Then  I  'm  wasting  breath  to  plead  with  you  ?" 

"Decidedly.  But  I  congratulate  you  on  the 
rational  way  you  are  beginning  to  look  at  things." 

As  she  moved  to  the  door  she  smiled  over  her 
shoulder:  "Time  will  work  wonders,  perhaps!" 

"I  told  you  so,"  he  laughed. 

She  hurried  to  her  room  and  wrote  the  order 
signing  Wolf 's  name  without  a  moment's  hesita- 
tion: 

"Admit  the  guard  bearing  this  order  for  the 
delivery  of  a  personal  message  to  the  prisoner, 
Norman  Worth. 

"  Wolf  —  Regent." 


3i6  COMRADES 

She  stood  at  the  window  and  watched  the  boy 
enter  the  jail.  He  stayed  an  interminable  time! 
Each  tick  of  the  tiny  watch  in  her  hand  seemed 
an  hour.  One  minute,  two,  three,  four,  five 
minutes  slowly  dragged.  Merciful  God,  would  he 
never  return  ?  A  thousand  questions  began  to 
strangle  her.  Had  Wolf  suspected  and  played 
with  her  ?  Had  the  jailer  recognized  the  trick 
and  arrested  the  boy  ?  Had  Wolf  discovered  the 
boy's  absence  from  his  post  ? 

She  looked  at  her  watch  again.  He  had  been 
gone  seven  minutes!  The  door  of  the  jail  sud- 
denly opened  and  the  boy  appeared. 

Her  hand  was  tingling  with  a  curious  pain.  She 
looked,  and  the  nails  of  her  fingers  had  cut  the  flesh 
as  she  had  stood  in  agony  counting  the  seconds. 

The  boy  walked  with  leisurely  precision  as 
though  on  an  ordinary  errand  for  the  regent. 
Barbara  waited  until  he  resumed  his  position  on 
guard  at  the  door  and  quickly  reached  his  side. 

He  pressed  a  note  into  her  hand,  whispering: 

"The  jailer  held  me  up  at  first  —  but  I  found 
him!" 

Barbara  glanced  down  the  corridor  with  a  quick 
look  threw  her  arms  around  the  boy's  neck  and 
kissed  him  tenderly. 

He  smiled,  drew  a  deep  breath,  and  said: 

"Now,  I  'm  ready  to  die!" 


LOVE  AND  LOCKSMITHS  317 

"No.  To  live  and  fight,"  she  cried.  "Fight 
our  way  back  to  freedom.     You  must  help  me!" 

She  turned  and  flew  to  her  room.  The  note  in 
her  hand  was  burning  the  soft  flesh. 

She  locked  her  door  and  read: 

"Heart  of  My  Heart: 

"Iron  bars  have  held  my  body  but  my  soul  has 
been  with  you!  I  've  seen  you  walking  among 
the  flowers  a  hundred  times  and  tried  to  force 
my  message  through  the  walls.  I  enclose  a  tele- 
gram to  my  father  and  one  to  the  Governor  of 
California.  Send  Saka  to  Santa  Barbara  with 
them.  The  troops  should  arrive  in  forty-eight 
hours.  All  I  ask  of  God  now  is  the  chance  to  fight. 
1  love  you! 

"Always  yours, 

Norman." 

She  kissed  the  note,  tore  it  into  fragments,  and 
burned  the  pieces. 

When  night  had  fallen,  Jimmy  safely  passed  the 
patrol  lines,  delivered  his  message  to  Saka,  helped 
him  launch  the  skiff,  watched  the  little  sail  spread 
before  a  fair  wind,  and  returned  to  his  post. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

THE   SHINING  EMBLEM 

WHEN  Wolf's  patrol  telephoned  two  days 
later  that  a  companyof  troops  had  suddenly 
landed  on  the  other  side  of  the  island,  he  called 
the  captain  of  the  guard: 

"A  detail  of  men  to  move  the  gold  aboard  the 
ship.  Order  the  steam  up.  I  'II  divide  with 
you.  We  must  beat  those  soldiers  back  until 
we  can  sail.  Fight  them  at  every  possible  stand 
as  they  cross  the  hills.  I  '11  join  you  if  the  guard 
is  driven  in." 

The  captain  hurried  to  execute  Wolf's  orders, 
while  the  regent  began  with  feverish  haste 
to  transfer  the  treasures  of  the  colony  to  the 
ship. 

Norman  sat  on  his  cot  in  prison,  awaiting 
anxiously  the  first  sound  of  the  troops. 

He  suddenly  leaped  to  his  feet. 

"They  are  coming!" 

Listening  a  moment  intently,  he  cried: 

"  There  it  is  again  —  the  scream  of  fifes  from 
the  hills!  —  now,  they  are  driving  in  the  pickets  — • 

318 


THE  SHINING  EMBLEM  319 

hear  the  crack  of  those  rifles !  —  God  in  heaven, 
is  n't  it  music!" 

He  sank  back  on  the  cot  with  a  sob  of  joy. 

In  a  rush  the  troops  surrounded  the  jail.  The 
sheriff  lifted  his  hand  and  shouted : 

"In  the  name  of  the  peace  and  dignity  of  the 
State  of  CaHfornia " 

Wolf  answered  with  a  defiant  wave  and  charged 
at  the  head  of  his  guard.  The  soldiers  poured 
into  their  ranks  a  deadly  fire.  At  the  first  volley 
the  leader  fell.  The  charging  column  hesitated, 
halted,  threw  down  their  arms,  and  surrendered. 

In  five  minutes  Colonel  Worth  entered  the  jail 
and  father  and  son  silently  embraced.  Barbara 
followed  and  Norman  clasped  her  in  his  arms. 

A  shout  rose  from  the  troops  and  the  group 
within  moved  to  the  prison  window.  The  colour- 
sergeant  had  hauled  down  the  red  ensign  of 
Socialism  from  the  flag-staff  on  the  lawn  and 
lifted  the  Stars  and  Stripes  in  its  place. 

Norman's  hand  sought  his  father's.  They 
clasped  a  moment  tremblingly,  and,  still  looking 
through  the  barred  window  at  the  shining  emblem 
in  the  sky,  the  young  man  slowly  said : 

"It  is  beautiful,  isn't  it  Governor!" 

The  End 


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